Tell Us About Yourself
My name is Sheri Pape, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Public Relations), from Mississippi State University in 2002, and received my Master's of Divinity, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in 2005.
Where do you currently work? Currently, I'm the associate director of marketing for the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. I'm starting a new job on Oct. 19, though, as marketing manager for higher education with The CBORD Group in Duluth, Georgia. I also previously worked for the MSU Foundation and Alumni Association as marketing and communication coordinator.
The story of my first internship...
My first PR internship was at Gulfshores Baptist Assembly, a former retreat facility owned by the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. It was destroyed by Katrina, and is no longer in operation. I served as a camp staff member in 2000, the summer after my sophomore year, on the housekeeping crew. Let me just tell you...cleaning up after a bunch of middle and high school kids is a humbling experience! It was such a fun job though, and I spent the summer living and working with 40 other college students from around the state.
I wanted to go back to GBA the next summer, but also knew I needed to intern to help prepare myself for a career in PR. So, I just got the nerve to call up the camp director and ask if he'd let me return, but to work as a PR intern instead of a regular staff member. He agreed and put me under the leadership of the editor of the Mississippi Baptist Record, the state's newspaper for Baptist churches. It never hurts to ask, even if the position doesn't exist. It paid off for me! And what's the worst that could happen? They say no? Learning how to take a "no" in the working world is also great experience.
At GBA, I had several responsibilities that included writing, photography, producing a newsletter, and managing any press that came to campus. I wrote press releases for all of our staff members to send to their local, hometown papers and for big events at our camp. In addition, I took group photos of all the churches that visited us, and I wrote and designed a bi-weekly newsletter for camp employees.
The most valuable experience, though, came late one night as Tropical Storm Allison rolled across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The weather was terrible, and in addition to all the rain, we had lots of tornados. Trees and power lines were down everywhere, and our camp took on about 3 ft of water. The entire first floor of the facility and parking lots flooded. Cars flooded. And with all of the damage around town, the adults in charge couldn't get to campus. We had a junior high and high school camp going on, which meant about 500 kids and chaperones with no electricity. So, several of the staff members walked from our staff house to the main office in knee-high water to make sure our guests were taken care of.
I manned the office and phone lines once we got up and running. We had tons of incoming calls from parents worried about their kids and media requests about damage to the area. This was my first crisis experience, and it was trial by fire! There were no supervisors around to tell me how to handle the calls or what to say. I just knew I had to stay calm and reassure everyone that we and all our guests were okay. I was so thankful that day of my classes and professors at MSU that talked about crisis PR and presented us with case stories to prepare us for the unknown. I owe all of my classes from my first three years at State to getting me through that situation. And, luckily, I haven't dealt with a crisis situation since!
How did your internship prepare you for your future job?
That internship taught me how to stay calm under pressure, which is definitely not an easy task for me. It taught me to not be afraid to ask for what I wanted or express my opinion, which is a trait employers always compliment me on. And since I basically made up my own job, it taught me to be creative with strategy and make the most of an opportunity where I had a ton of flexibility.
What do you wish you had known as a student or intern that you know now?
I wish I had networked more as a student or intern. We talked about the importance of networking a lot, but I didn't really do it. And I sometimes still struggle with that as an adult. But making connections with other students, teachers, mentors, and professionals is so important to more opportunities opening up. Definitely make an effort to meet people through internships, classes, or professional organizations. You never know who may be hiring one day!
When you hire interns what things make your star interns stand out among the rest?
The best interns I've had didn't wait for me to assign them a project. As a communication and marketing professional, I'm always juggling 20 different projects at a time. I loved when my interns came to me with ideas about a project or something that could benefit our organization. I really like proactive people, who seek answers on their own, and who aren't afraid to tell me whether they like an idea or not. I'm still learning too, and you guys teach me as much as I teach you!
What are the biggest benefits of being an intern?
Internships definitely open the door to jobs. My second internship was my senior year at State with the Career Center. It was unpaid, and they gave me a lot of flexibility to try new things. And when the semester was over, and I was facing graduation and a three month break before starting grad school, they offered to pay me to stay on for the summer. It was such a great opportunity for me! I needed a job and wasn't ready to move yet. So I ended up extending my internship and make some money! I also worked full-time, which was a great transition into the "real world."
What things should you consider when thinking about what kind of internships you want to apply for?
I would recommend exploring a field you might be interested in. Honestly, I had no idea when I worked for the Career Center that I'd make a career out of higher ed. But that's exactly what has happened! Before I returned to work for State, I spent four years working in K-12 communication. It led to a job at MSU, which led to a job at an academic medical center, which now is leading to a job working with universities all over the country. I'm so excite d and thrilled to be working in higher education and hope to always be a part of campus life.
What do you do to follow up after an internship?
Be sure to keep in touch with the folks you intern with. It's much easier with social media, and you never know when things come full circle. When I came back to State, I ran into my boss from the Career Center and several of the ladies that worked there. I was able to reconnect with them and have some crossover with our jobs. Maintaining relationships with former coworkers is so key, and for more reasons than a good recommendation. You just never know when you'll come back.