Bio: “Hi! My name is Bella Kerby, and I am a 20-year-old theatre major in my third year at Hendrix College. I have been the marketing intern here at Arkansas PBS for the past semester as a part of my journey to understand and explore the connection between the stage and the professional world!”
Hello! My name is Bella Kerby, and for the past three months, I have had the unique opportunity to be a marketing intern at Arkansas PBS. At first, I was terrified. I had never worked in an environment like this. Ever.
Worries
On my first day, I was overwhelmed with all the information that I was given; I got an ID badge and a big folder of everything that I needed to know. It included everything from the dress code to parking maps (I still parked in the wrong spot for over a week). In my mind, it was a daunting task. Being able to remember how to get to the right office seemed impossible, let alone remembering everyone’s names. I worried about making good impressions and being as productive as possible, but that soon changed.
Easing in
I soon realized that the most important factor of productivity in an environment like Arkansas PBS was making lasting connections. I underestimated the strength of the community here, but I soon saw how welcoming and helpful every person in the building was. Every employee at Arkansas PBS wanted me to succeed, and I felt that every time I walked in these doors. I was soon surrounded by people who were willing to accommodate my busy life schedule and support me through it. Even if I didn’t tell them I was feeling down there was always someone in the office to uplift me and make my day better.
Early on in my journey at Arkansas PBS, I experienced a death in my family. I was not only learning how to process grief, but I worried about how it would affect my internship. I hadn’t even completed two weeks, and I was having to take extensive leave. Instead of being met with questions like “When will you be back?”, I was met with kindness, compassion and grace. That was when I knew that I had chosen the perfect internship program. Getting back to school and work and my internship was tough, but it was made a little easier when I knew that I had afternoons at Arkansas PBS to look forward to.
I not only had a blast here, but I also learned a lot of valuable information to help me on my path as a young professional. I am currently a junior in college pursuing a theatre degree. When I told one of my professors that I wanted to pursue a major in theatre, he asked me “Does your family know?”
This internship gives me a leg up but allows me to gain experience in areas like social media creation and management, video editing, event planning and management, production and so much more.
Fearful Future?
I hadn’t ever had a second thought about my degree path before. I come from what I call a “performance family.” Every person around me encouraged me to get this degree, but for the first time, I was questioning my choice. I started to really think about what a degree in the arts would mean to me. I began to spiral. I thought about what would happen if I couldn’t get a well-paying job with my degree. The people at Arkansas PBS quickly helped me allay those fears and offered me some words of encouragement instead.
The freedom I had in this internship to express my creativity through social media reels was fantastic.
Thank you!
As a part of my internship program, I was required to interview many of the people in the marketing department. They all pretty much told me the same thing, “You’re on the right track.” Many of the people that I interviewed had even been interns themselves. They stressed the importance of experience especially in a place like this where I get such a dynamic experience. This internship gives me a leg up but allows me to gain experience in areas like social media creation and management, video editing, event planning and management, production and so much more. The freedom I had in this internship to express my creativity through social media reels was fantastic. Thank you to all my new Arkansas PBS family members for going along with my zany antics! This has been the best professional experience I have had, and I will be forever grateful for it.