By Shannon Lewis, Spring 2012 Intern
Eastern Connecticut State University, Class of 2012

My internship at New London Main Street has been quite the experience. This organization has provided a great opportunity for me, as a Communication major with a Writing minor, to gain first-hand experience with interviewing, researching, writing and editing. My focus in my major is Public Relations, so it was a great fit. I have met so many terrific people and have really enjoyed writing about, and experiencing, New London’s downtown Historic Waterfront District. From my many writing assignments, I have learned how much New London offers, and more importantly, the many ways that it can be conveyed to the public through news articles, event postings, the membership newsletters and monthly e-newsletters, the District Map & Guide, and website business profiles. Promoting New London and much of what it has to offer has really given me a chance to see into the field of Public Relations, by working to provide an image of the downtown district, attracting visitors from near and far to visit and see for themselves that this is a fun and exciting place to be. I even got to try on some unique fashions and accessories at Somaly Hay & Co. to help promote their business by posting photos on the Main Street Facebook page.

While meeting so many different people I have learned to improve my interpersonal communication skills, writing skills, and organization skills, as New London Main Street works at a face pace! Within the communication field, you have to be quick, yet accurate, with everything you do, because the public uses what you write or create as something to rely on for specific details and facts. I have learned to get the right information I need through interviewing and experiencing businesses for myself. Firsthand experience has helped significantly when writing a news article and always made it more fun too. I think that these skills will help me in the long run, because many organizations in public relations and writing are looking for employees who can handle many different tasks at one time and who thrive in a fast-paced environment.

My last big assignment was writing an article for Studio 33 Art and Frame Gallery, who is celebrating their 33 years in business this month! I conducted an interview, took pictures, and learned all that they have to offer New London. It was so interesting to learn that all of the jewelry is handmade and hand delivered by the artists themselves. So many local artists come in and display their artwork, some of which depicts local places of interest. Owner Sara Munro was very friendly and welcoming when I met with her. She showed me around the shop, even her new Frames Down Under addition downstairs, which will feature some standard frames giving even more options to her customers.

More recently, I have been asked to post events to the community calendar on a regular basis so that our calendar continues to be the go-to calendar for the community. I’m sad to see this internship come to a close. It was my favorite part of my last semester in college. I am extremely excited to see what the future will hold for me. New London Main Street has given me a great start and a firsthand peek into the real world.