Point Loma University senior, and award-winning political science researcher and presenter, Seth Patton, is Intesa’s current intern and all-around delightful person. We asked him to share a little bit about his intern experience with us for the blog before he leaves us next month. Although we will miss his positive attitude, writing skills, and thoughtful approach to client service, we are thrilled to see him launch his career, and one day craft and implement innovative public policy throughout the San Diego Region. – Margie
My experience at Intesa has been one of discovering, of learning, and of growing. When I began working here, I really discovered public relations for the first time. Prior to that, had anyone asked me what PR was, I likely would have replied with something along the lines of “those are the guys that salvage your image when you do something you shouldn’t have.”
While that certainly is a piece of what PR is, and admittedly I still occasionally use that definition as a means of quickly escaping an unwanted conversation, I discovered that there is this whole industry that is largely responsible for shaping the world we interact with daily. Intesa goes even a step further, as both a PR and a government relations firm.
A local connection
Over the months I’ve spent as a part of Intesa, I’ve learned immeasurably more about the San Diego region and the vital people and organizations that keep it running. As a student of political science, my passion is politics and while PR is its own ballgame, the two are not at all disconnected.
In my time at Intesa I’ve had the opportunity to become informed about, and interact with, so many non-profits, governmental organizations, and industry leaders that are doing such amazing things for San Diego that I had never heard of before. Consequently, I feel more connected to San Diego than I ever have since moving here from Oregon almost four years ago.
Professional growth
Finally, my time at Intesa has given me room to grow both personally and professionally. I’ve gained a much deeper understanding of what it is to work in an office, but more importantly, what it is to work on a team of people on a diverse multitude of endeavors, both independently and cooperatively. Having taken on this experience while quickly advancing toward the end of my college career has allowed me to look at the variety of challenges I’ve faced here as invaluable opportunities to grow and learn about the type of person I want to be, the type of work I want to do, the challenges I can expect to face, and how I can overcome them.
To end on a more personal note, I truly couldn’t have asked for better bosses. Margie and Maddy are wonderful people not just to work with, but to know. They both have shown me repeatedly that they care about me and my life, and want to help me do the things that will make me successful. Whether it’s helping me to improve the quality of work I do here, or advising me on opportunities I can take advantage of outside of the office, they’ve gone above and beyond and I’m incredibly grateful for having been given this opportunity.
If you are interested in an internship at Intesa for Summer or Fall 2017, contact Margie (margie at intesa com dot com).
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