Name: Koren Woznicki
Class Year: 2023
Major: English
Hometown: Lambertville, N.J.
Internship Organization: Governor’s Office of New Jersey
Job Title: Communications Intern
Location: Statehouse Building, Trenton, NJ
What’s happening at your internship?
Right now, I have just been asked to be working in-person in the Governor’s Office in Trenton, N.J. (up until about two weeks ago, I had worked remotely at my home). My weeks currently follow this schedule: Monday and Tuesday, I work in-person in the Statehouse with the communications press team, handling press releases, drafting quotes, clipping articles, transcribing Q&A sessions, and completing various projects related to media for the team. This work continues remotely on Thursdays, and on Wednesdays and Fridays, I am often asked to cover or staff events held by the Governor and/or First Lady for the communications digital team.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I applied for this internship because I am interested in a career in public interest law and public policy. I knew that the exposure to the inner workings of the New Jersey legislature, as well as hands-on experience working for an administration committed to public advocacy and service of constituents would cater to my interests and benefit my future endeavors. There are many opportunities for networking in this position, and I was confident, upon my application, that this position would suit my natural abilities and grow my skill sets.
What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?
When I began learning about this internship opportunity, I expected to hone many of the skills I already possess, calling upon my background in academic and journalistic writing and the interests that initially led me to the position. However, there were definitely built-in learning experiences that I didn’t account for, as is often the case. This summer, I found myself constantly working on a deadline; while this may seem typical for a full-time student, these deadlines were very short-term, and required me to develop the ability to think quickly and efficiently to produce acceptable work in small amounts of time. As work related to communications and the media is often time-sensitive, I learned how to manage my time in small increments and developed time-saving measures with the help of my supervisor and the support of the other interns I was working with. For example, if I was given the task of drafting a press release within the hour it was assigned, I found that a useful strategy to avoid writer’s block and ensure that the correct message was conveyed was to highlight key phrases and information from the background documents I was provided, as well as follow an archived example of a release with a similar topic.
What is most rewarding about your internship?
The most rewarding thing about my summer internship experience at the Governor’s Office of New Jersey are the times when I am able to see the impact and effect of my work on my greater community. The first time that a quote that I had drafted was included in a published press release or a photo that I had taken was posted on an official New Jersey Government social media account was incredibly exciting; the tangible product of my labor was easily the most rewarding aspect of this experience. However, getting to shake the hands of both the Governor and the First Lady of New Jersey were also both amazing experiences. I am so grateful for the opportunities awarded to me as a result of this internship, for the personal connections I was able to make, and for the skills that will undoubtedly serve me in my future.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.