My position as SAFSF’s Communication and Marketing Intern is soon to come to a close. I am
blessed to have received this opportunity to deepen my understanding of public relations and
cultivate essential skills for my future career. This internship offered hands-on experience,
allowing me to apply my college knowledge to real-world situations. Reflecting on my time with
SAFSF, key learning moments and takeaways stand out, shaping my perspective on both my
professional and personal growth.

As the Communications and Marketing Intern, my role was to support the Communication
Director, Maggie Mosley, with various tasks relating to promoting and enhancing SAFSF’s social
media presence. Together, Maggie and I workshopped content and graphics to best fit SAFSF’s
various social media channels. I’ve created graphic designs for SAFSF events, including the 2023
Forum; membership and committee promotions; newsletter subscriptions; follow SAFSF social
media; Digging In; SAFSF hiring positions; and SAFSF’s 2023 Farm Bill Principles. Thanks to
Maggie, I have learned that graphics should be simple, clean, pleasing to the eye, and direct in
their message. A common phrase Maggie said that is forever engrained in my head is, “Make it
bigger!” Once I made it bigger, she’d say, “You know, I think it could go even bigger.” After the
content was finalized, I would schedule posts according to the amount of awareness SAFSF
needed them to be and monitor post engagement. Just within my time at SAFSF, with increased
attention and resources focused on our social media channels, we have seen a huge increase in
followers. When I started in January 2023, LinkedIn followers totaled 3,539, and Twitter
followers totaled 316. As of December 2023, LinkedIn followers have climbed to 6,135, and
Twitter followers have grown to 388. With more campaigns to come that continue to promote
SAFSF media channels, especially YouTube, we should see an additional increase in our media
numbers.

One of my favorite tasks was analyzing the performance of SAFSF’s social media presence and
comparing it to other organizations. I would put on my detective’s hat to look at followers,
trends, brand imagery, and what posts had higher clicks, impressions, and reactions.
Conducting this research allowed us to better understand who SAFSF’s social media followers were, which allowed us to craft our marketing content for our audience. These analyses allow
SAFSF to measure where the social media presence has been, where it currently is, and where it
can go in the future.

Beyond the technical and professional aspects, this internship contributed significantly to my
personal growth. I had limited real-world experience coming into this role. To say the least, I
was timid, lacked confidence in the designs I created and the marketing knowledge I had
acquired throughout college, and I was afraid to fail. Stepping out of my comfort zone, taking
on new responsibilities, and overcoming challenges boosted my confidence. And that fear of
failure… I quickly got over that. To those who are reading, I don’t know if you’ve created a
graphic, but you very rarely get it on the first try. Mistakes and challenges are inevitable, but
thanks to Maggie’s constructive criticism, I was able to learn and succeed. Another rewarding
aspect of this position was working for a philanthropy-serving organization. Working for SAFSF
has been an enriching experience like no other, going beyond my experience at other
internships. I see the SAFSF staff and community working to create positive change. Through
my role with SAFSF, I truly feel my graphic designs and media content have had a hand in
helping identify and promote social issues that need to be discussed.

In conclusion, my internship at SAFSF has been a pivotal chapter in my professional
development. The technical skills acquired, and the lessons learned will forever be carried with
me throughout the rest of my professional career and personal life. The relationships I have
developed are invaluable. The SAFSF team has been so kind, and I thank everyone for their
guidance and support throughout this internship. Thank you.