LAUNCH Program: Week 4 Recap

Caitlyn 
    As the end of the LAUNCH program approaches, I’ve had time to reflect on what I have learned and the skills I have acquired from the experience as a whole. 
    We recently had a virtual coffee chat with Rachel Lee Puah, the Head of Communications at Boehringer Ingelheim. One aspect that stood out to me in our conversation was her understanding of what good communication encompassed. She stated that good communication occurs when the consumer knows exactly what message the product or service is trying to convey. 
    Another project that we worked on this past week was the staff bios. Personally, this was an intriguing project to work on because I discovered that the work often entailed a lot of troubleshooting. Each staff member's bio included their name, title, photo, education, and quote. As a result, we had a lot to work through with the various designs, print formatting, and so on. Overall, the project allowed me to become more self-aware, particularly in terms of how I work in a professional setting.  
    The LAUNCH program has given me numerous opportunities and learning experiences throughout the last four weeks. Now that I have reflected on those events, I have a better idea of what I wish to pursue in the future. As for now, I plan to continue working alongside the MarComm department during my senior year, and I am excited to see what new experiences await me!

Deia
    The last week of the LAUNCH internship has definitely been busy, but I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the Marketing and Communications department here at ICS! 
    We’ve recently been working on several different projects. As part of our #summeratICS series on social media, we introduced the new elementary and secondary teachers as they arrived on campus for the first time. We also got to know the new teachers better as we gathered quotes on why they looked forward to teaching at ICS. These quotes are their “staff bios,” which are printed and posted outside their classroom doors. 
    We also had a virtual chat with Rachel Lee, the Head of Communications at Boehringer Ingelheim. It was especially interesting to me as she has a background in journalism, and she talked about how that allowed her to become successful in the MarComm field. She made me realize that my career goal of becoming a journalist could be useful in exploring many different jobs, because I will have gained transferable skills throughout my education and work experience. 
    Overall, the LAUNCH program has provided me with knowledge and experience that I know will benefit me as I search for more internships and jobs. It has opened many doors for me, and I encourage next year’s rising seniors to take advantage of this great opportunity!

 

Mavie
    The final week of the LAUNCH program comes to a close, and I’ve thought about what I’ve learned over the last few weeks. I’ve had to step outside of my comfort zone multiple times, but the experience made me grow as a person.
This program has helped me develop discipline and time management. And seeing everything happen backstage made me appreciate what the marketing team does for a company. It was also a good opportunity to work on my communication skills. Working with others has not always been my strong suit, but I was able to improve on that while part of this program. 
We also had a virtual chat with Rachel Lee, the Head of Communications at Boehringer Ingelheim. Speaking with her gave us a female perspective on the workplace, as well as advice on how to be taken seriously on the job. Her advice was especially helpful because it did not apply only to MarComm, but to other career options as well.
    Although I am still unsure of what I want to do in the future, this internship has given me a clear view on how the workplace functions, as well as the tools to succeed in any future career. I am better prepared for the workplace because of the  lessons I’ve learned here. I am grateful for this opportunity to view marketing from another perspective, and I urge others to get a headstart on this learning experience!