Sophia Leong (‘28), a Communication major, was a Communications Intern at Play On Philly (POP). POP provides intensive music education to K-12 students who would typically lack access. This internship was supported by the Summer Humanities Internship Program.
This summer, I had the opportunity to join Play On Philly (POP) as a Communications Intern. I was drawn to POP because it offered an opportunity to combine my passion for education and love for music while also exploring potential career paths. Music has been a constant influential force within my life, and I wanted to be able to help bring that experience to students. During my time at POP, I learned how to use Adobe Suite applications, navigate brand guidelines and templates, utilize strategy and development methods within the context of marketing, and write and publish for social media and newsletters.
I worked closely with two supervisors throughout the summer, and I developed great relationships with them both. They involved me in a lot of projects, which allowed me to interact and learn from many individuals in the organization, such as leadership members, administrators, teaching artists, fellow interns, volunteers, site coordinators, and students. One memorable experience was interviewing three teaching artists for a spotlight article in POP’s monthly newsletter. Hearing about their interactions with students and teaching experiences was inspiring. Additionally, I met seven other interns through POP, two of whom are also Penn students. Throughout the summer, we became very close and even made plans to see each other during the school year! I am incredibly grateful for the guidance I received and the connections I built through this internship.
I also learned a lot about myself through this experience. During my internship, there was a constant stream of new projects and goals, and I found that I enjoyed a job structure where I got to do new things every day. Through speaking with many people within the organization, I saw how dedicated and passionate each person was about the work they do. Everyone loved the organization, which made for an incredibly positive and uplifting work environment. I went into Penn with an interest in Broadcast Journalism; however, I was also interested in exploring other disciplines within the subject of Communication. My time at POP reaffirmed that I want to continue studying Communication, but it also broadened my horizons and showed me that I can thrive in and enjoy other career fields.
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