by Kamryn Lowler

2020 has been a memorable year for plenty of reasons, many of which go without saying, but I think many of us have forgotten that 2020 was a leap year. I will be forever  grateful for this year’s extra day in February because that was the day I had the unbelievable fortune to be offered an internship position with Catalyst Media Factory, a public relations and social media firm located in Detroit. When I sat in the office during my interview, I never would have guessed it was to be my one and only visit to the building throughout the course of my internship. Not even two weeks later, the COVID-19 crisis would send me home from my junior year at Central Michigan University and my internship would become virtual.

After I finished out my academic semester from my family’s living room, I joined the Catalyst Media Factory team in June. Instead of waking up early to get ready and nervously making the drive to the city for my first day, I simply opened my laptop and clicked a link to meet my new co-workers. Getting to know people through a screen can be difficult, but I quickly felt welcomed as a valued member of the team. Catalyst Media Factory is a small firm, and I was so blessed to be able to work with and learn from founder and President, Jennifer Foster, and three other talented and knowledgeable co-workers every day.

From the first day of my internship, I was trusted with real work for Catalyst Media Factory’s clients. I worked on press releases, pitches, social media content, ghostwriting, media alerts, interview memos, crisis communication plans and media training for a varied group of clients. I interacted with reporters to secure spots on television, on radio, in magazines and in newspapers and I did it from my couch.

At first, I was worried I wouldn’t learn as much virtually, but I learned a lot through phone calls and emails with my coworkers. I would create a draft for review and then revise the draft based on feedback.  Through these interactions, I learned what to do, and more importantly, what not to do. I’m so grateful to my co-workers for taking the time out of their busy days to teach me how to be a better communicator.

Some of my favorite experiences during my internship included creating a playlist about traffic for a downtown development authority, conducting on-site media relations at a music festival, pitching a story about the grand opening of a dog park and nominating some of our nonprofit clients for a Brawny recognition campaign. These are just some of the highlights, I honestly looked forward to every day of the three months of my internship. 

Being a budding young communications professional during a worldwide pandemic crisis is certainly a unique experience. While I missed out on certain things during my internship, like visiting the news studios or meeting in person with clients, I learned how to adapt to a new working world. I’ll forever be grateful for my internship with Catalyst Media Factory and the valuable skills, knowledge and experiences I gained.