Two summer internships offer next challenge for ‘grounded’ student

(Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of articles about students in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications completing summer internships.)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — She recently completed just her first full year on the University Park campus, but Georgia Curtis has all kinds of wisdom, and it pairs well with her academic achievements as well as an overarching, grounded approach to all she does.

Curtis enrolled at Penn State with a strong head start — 31 credits that transferred from accelerated classes she completed while in high school. Still, she was undecided on a major when she enrolled. She was not unprepared, though.

“I thought I wanted to do international business or marketing, but I knew if I didn’t end up choosing one of those, there would be something. I knew no matter what my major was it would be good at Penn State, and if I had other interests, I could pursue them,” Curtis said.

She made connections, honed her interests and quickly found a major.

She became a writer for Valley Magazine, enjoyed a communications role with Penn State Dance Marathon (THON) and joined Ed2010, a networking club/professional development organization that focuses on editorial career paths — all quality ways to help an advertising/public relations major complement their classroom work.

This summer, she’s adding two internships.

There’s one as a social media coordinator with Ross Tucker’s My Front Page Story, which creates mock front-page newspaper stories for celebrations and special events, and another with the Brownstein Group, Philadelphia’s largest and longest-running independent advertising and public relations agency. In the first, she creates content and graphics, gathers weekly analytics and oversees social media pages. In the second, she’s working with an account management team that’s focused on the largest insurance group in the area.

“Honestly, I was really worried I wouldn’t get an internship. I applied for several, got interviews but never heard back,” Curtis said. “It turned out all that was good experience. I was better prepared as a result.”

Being prepared and building connections have been an important part of Curtis’ success. She matriculated to Penn State after serving as the valedictorian for her 14-member high school class in Meadville, Pennsylvania. While the Bryce Jordan Center has more seats than her town has residents, she was not intimidated by a school of Penn State's size.

“I noticed right away that she was immediately grounded at Penn State. It’s a big place and a lot of students spend a semester transitioning,” said Sherri Metcalfe, who served as Curtis’ adviser in the Division of Undergraduate Studites. “She had a great academic background and she wanted to explore but she always knew what she wanted.

“She had a path in mind. She knew it involved a global lens, involved branding and involved some photography. She knew herself and it was just a matter of finding the right options here on campus.”

While her transfer credits put her well ahead of a typical academic timeline — she could graduate as early as December 2024, if she wanted — Curtis does not plan to hurry through college. Her plan includes making the most of opportunities, and Penn State offers many.

She has already completed the Maymester in Manhattan, a weeklong for-credit opportunity for students in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications that introduces them to alumni and professional opportunities in New York City. For next fall, she has a leadership position, as president, with Ed2010; she will be a senior editor for Valley Magazine; and she has secured a position as a photographer for CommAgency.

She’s not randomly grasping at things to build a LinkedIn profile or resume, either. She’s pursuing interests, seeking to improve and valuing those she works with along the way.

Metcalfe, who often helps students through transitions to campus or a major and never hears from them again, said Curtis is different. After helping students get acclimated, she might not hear from more than 80% of her advisees once they find an academic home at Penn State. Curtis has kept in regular contact long after she moved to the Bellisario College.

“She’s just remarkable, honestly, and it’s a joy for me. She has used her resources incredibly well from Day 1. And she was not afraid to talk to strangers or use her connections. Plus, her authenticity makes it work. She makes that process seamless,” Metcalfe said. “It’s clear she values relationships just as much as the information she gets from the relationships. That’s a rare quality.”