Students Adriana Badillo and Lourdes Pastrana Bridge Gap Between Learning and Professional World
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A pair of students are gaining professional experience and insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of working in marketing.
Lourdes Pastrana, a fourth-year student from Morelia, Mexico, and Adriana Badillo, a fourth-year student from Quito, Ecuador, have been interning as marketing assistants at Ignite Fredericton鈥攁 local economic development agency that works with entrepreneurs, businesses, and economic builders鈥攕ince late October.
They鈥檙e responsible for writing blogs and newsletters, creating posts for social media, event planning, and assisting with marketing strategies.
鈥淎s an intern, you get insight into the industry that can鈥檛 be learned from an article or in a classroom,鈥 Badillo said. 鈥淭his experience has been a bridge between university and the professional world and I鈥檝e been able to gain valuable skills and learn directly from communications and business experts.鈥
Working under Book Sadprasid, BA鈥 17, marketing and communications manager, and Eric Douglas, marketing and client services coordinator, has allowed Badillo and Pastrana to receive meaningful one-on-one instruction.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e given us workshops on social media and writing, and they take time to teach us,鈥 Pastrana said. 鈥淵ou get feedback from them right away, so it鈥檚 a really nice dynamic.鈥
Badillo, who is completing a double major in Communications and Public Policy and Economics, and Pastrana, who is honouring in Psychology, work 10 hours per week at Ignite Fredericton鈥檚 office.
Both of them applied for the internship, which was coordinated through the Office of Experiential and Community Based Learning, to learn from professionals in the field and prepare for post-graduate studies鈥擝adillo intends to pursue a master鈥檚 in economic development and Pastrana plans to complete a master鈥檚 in marketing.
鈥淭his is going to be incredibly beneficial for me moving forward. The hands-on work is amazing because you鈥檙e learning while you鈥檙e experiencing it,鈥 Pastrana said.
Badillo agreed.
鈥淚鈥檝e gained a lot of confidence,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his experience has allowed me to meet many professionals, and in the future having one or two personal ambassadors can make a big difference when applying for jobs.鈥
Interested in gaining professional experience? Browse internship opportunities here.