From Intern to Impact
Most of us spend our lives wishing that we had nowhere to go. In the mornings we say it’s “too early.” After a long week at work, we’re “too tired.” But when the world stops, with no hope for normalcy in sight, we crave human interaction. We want to see our friends. We miss our most obnoxious family members. And most of all, we wish that going outside didn’t mean entering a germ warzone. When I fantasized about my senior year in college, words like global pandemic, quarantine, and social distancing were NOT on the list, but that’s life; it throws you curveballs. When looking for different internship opportunities online, I always saw myself working at a company that inspires their audience while prioritizing equality. Thus, while CFK isn’t a design firm, I chose to join the communications team because they’re passionate about giving children the opportunity to follow their dreams. Since starting in February, I’ve designed social media graphics and produced corporate documents to be shared with CFK’s sponsors. In my down time I’ve been learning how to use MailChimp and brainstorming different strategies to improve our engagement on social media. My most rewarding project thus far has been developing a mentorship app prototype that will hopefully be used in the future. My mentor has played a huge role in me becoming the person I am today so being able to be a part of extending that experience to other kids is extremely rewarding.
Working from home, waking up at 8 AM and wearing anything other than sweatpants isn't ideal. But everyday I wake up grateful to know that the work I’m producing will create an opportunity for another young girl who wants to be an artist.
Sydni Hicks is a Senior Graphic Design Major at St. John’s University. In her spare time she loves to read, write and customize sneakers; but this spring she decided to join CFK as a Communications and Design Intern.