Over Spring Break, communications studies major, Madison “Madi” Kirkland interned under one of her Communication professors, Dr. Tiffany Wang.
The way Kirkland found out about the internship was through her advisor meeting with Wang. During the meeting, Wang told Kirkland she was looking for an intern and Kirkland volunteered herself saying “Hello, I’m right here.” Kirkland said her being organized and a person who gets things done is what gave her the motivation to do this. The internship has been all school year starting in the fall of 2021.
The internship was helping Wang plan the conference for the Central States Communication Association (CSCA). Wang is on the executive board of the CSCA so that is how this opportunity could be given to Kirkland. “Dr. Wang is probably the easiest person to work with,” Kirkland says. Wang and Kirkland met twice a week for planning. They’ve been planning since the summer. This was the first conference back since COVID-19 “which means that it was important that everything went well.” Kirkland had a variety of tasks during this internship. She made decisions for the program book, social media work, and photography at the conference.
Kirkland’s Experience
When asked if she got time to relax during her spring break, Kirkland explained how the first few days she went to the beach with friends. While at the beach she had task to work on for the conference. Kirkland had never been to Wisconsin, so this was a new experience for her. She says Wisconsin was “very cold, it snowed so much there.” One thing about her visit that she enjoyed was the cheese.
Communications professor, Dr. Hardig, helped Kirkland make the trip less expensive with the “Green Travel Fund.” It’s for students who are traveling under the university and who incorporate environmental science with their travels. Another way to make the cost less for Kirkland was the SGA Leadership, it covered the food cost.
At the Conference, undergraduate and graduate research was highlighted. Kirkland presented her research at a student panel. Kirkland was also a photographer at the conference. The other people she met were mostly executive people and they were “very enjoyable and willing to answer any questions.”
Kirkland’s biggest takeaway was “Don’t be scared of saying yes to something you’re not completely sure of because it could put you in a great position to gain experience.”
To read Kirkland’s research click here. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z4AU7ULTv54D-EXfgNVBBd-vd-2oMWeO/view?usp=drivesdk
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