Caption: Journalism and Media alumnus Trinity Worthy, who participated in CCI’s VOLs Remote Internship program.
Trinity Worthy (‘21) had no job prospects on the horizon when she saw a notice about a remote internship program for College of Communication and Information students and recent graduates.
Worthy had just graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a degree from the School of Journalism and Media, and a minor in Africana studies. She had hoped to gain some practical work experience during school, but the coronavirus pandemic put a damper on her plans.
Through the VOLs Remote Internship program, Worthy finally got her opportunity. She was paired with Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), a nonprofit which provides underserved kids an equal chance to succeed through a comprehensive array of after-school academic, arts, athletics, and wellness programs in the L.A. area.
“It was a really great experience to learn about branding and what it means to actually do a campaign through social media,” Worthy said. “I saw what it really took to get a message out and how to make sure it’s authentic to the audience you already have, while also trying to reach a bigger audience.”
Now in its fourth year, the VOLs Remote Internship program continues to thrive and fill a need in a post-COVID business world. The program pairs CCI students with nonprofit organizations to fill social media and digital communication roles.
The summer program is open to rising seniors and recent graduates with particular emphasis on recruiting first-generation college students and students from low-income communities.
Interns are paired with young CCI alumni already working in communications and digital media. The mentors provide feedback on digital communication best practices, along with career advice on navigating the industry.
The internships last 8-10 weeks, during which participants learn how to create social media content in the voices of their organizations and gain experience using digital collaboration and social media management tools.
Each student is provided a stipend, either through scholarship gifts from alumni and supporters or directly through the organizations they work for.
The program had 20 students apply for internships this year and six were selected, including three first-generation college students. Four of the six nonprofits partners are new this year.
“It’s been a great learning experience for the students to have to work in different environments,” said Devan Lane, CCI’s director of career development. “Every opportunity has been a bit different and they’ve had to learn how to help each nonprofit partner in a way that fits their needs. I’ve received great feedback from all of the students.”
The VOLs Remote program was initially spearheaded by CCI Board of Visitors member Jamie Lonie (‘10) and UT’s New York Alumni Chapter during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although companies are now offering in-person internships again, Lonie still sees the need for remote opportunities for many students.
“For whatever reason, some students may not have the financial or scheduling capacity to go do an internship in another place outside of Knoxville or their hometowns,” Lonie said. “But with the online experience, we can still offer them a concrete experience in another city.”
Lonie grew up in a single-parent home with limited finances, so he understands some of the challenges students face in trying to gain educational benefits.
“My mom was really savvy with navigating the school system to get me into good schools in middle school and high school and I think that really set me up for success,” Lonie said. “For college, I was lucky with the new state scholarship or else I would not have been able to afford to attend.”
Lonie and the New York Alumni Chapter wanted to make things as easy as possible for the nonprofits because they realize some are understaffed and have limited budgets. They provide the nonprofits with a framework to use that have suggested activities for the interns to perform.
The mentors, who offer the interns guidance and career advice, don’t have to be affiliated with a nonprofit.
“People were compelled by the idea to contribute initially because they saw the value of this opportunity,” Lonie said. “I think those elements have really sustained and grown over time to where more have contributed, either through volunteering or donating or some other elements of the program.”
There have been several success stories from the inaugural students who took part in VOLs Remote. One received a full-time communications role at MIT and another was accepted into a competitive advertising program for minority students and matched with a top advertising firm.
“[The student hired at the advertising firm] didn’t think she would have been accepted to that program if it hadn’t been for the initial remote internship opportunity she got that met her life situation at the time,” Lonie said. “It allowed her to be competitive for the opportunity to land at the firm once she graduated.”
The internship opportunities have proven mutually beneficial to both parties. The students are getting practical work experience and the nonprofits are getting help to achieve their mission.
“That is one thing I really loved about it,” Worthy said. “Even though I may not be doing the work on the ground, I am helping them reach other people so they can find potential volunteers or secure grants or raise money because of a social media campaign. It was super rewarding to know you are making a positive impact that way.”
VOLs Remote now operates internally at UT and is trying to build off the vision Lonie had from the start. Over the four years, 70 students have applied for internships and 20 have been selected.
“It has been really meaningful to see how much CCI wants to keep it evolving and expanding after we kind of proved the concept can work,” Lonie said. “I think they really understand the broader vision of this and I would love to see more and more students get this opportunity and more and more nonprofits hosting because I think it’s a big value add.”
The 2023 VOLs Remote Class Members/Nonprofits
- Aislen Setty – Common Wealth Charlotte
- Nicolette Moleski – Safe House
- Sarah Grace Kennedy – Sports Philanthropy Network
- Kennedy Seaton – STEAM
- Amari Mills – Pockets Change
- Kyra Manis – Tenn-Share
Mentors
- Rayla Maurin – Executive Career Coach, Maurin Coaching and Consulting, LLC
- Drew Griggs – Sales Leader. State Farm
- Caroline Generotti – Sr. Media, Planner GS & F
- Tiffani Saxton – Marketing, Director Allstate
- Curtis Maggitt – Founder, The EDGE Foundation
Written by Rhiannon Potkey