My work experience
During the fall semester of my senior year, I interned on the digital marketing team at Hamilton Beach Brands. At this nationally recognized small-appliance company, I supported multiple brand portfolios: Hamilton Beach, Clorox Home Appliances, Weston, Proctor Silex, and the luxury brand Lotus. As a digital marketing intern focused on paid and organic social, I contributed to social media strategy and content marketing initiatives, most notably by developing a three-month YouTube content calendar centered on audience targeting, content themes, and consistent brand messaging. I analyzed performance metrics, competitor content, and platform best practices to inform content decisions, and I collaborated cross-functionally to align creative execution with broader marketing and brand objectives. I also handled community management and inbox moderation across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter in Sprout Social, responding to customer comments and messages and escalating issues to the team to protect brand reputation. The experience strengthened my skills in strategic planning, digital storytelling, social media analytics, and data-informed decision-making within a fast-paced, multi-brand environment.
For a full year, I managed my Business Law professor’s short-form educational Instagram account, @judge_on_scooter. As its sole social media manager and content editor, the account grew from zero to 6K followers in six months, and Judge Showalter became a Virginia Tech “campus celebrity.” I owned the full content lifecycle: developing a content strategy, ideating concepts around trending audio and formats, shooting on-the-street interviews and campaign series, and editing short-form video in CapCut and Final Cut Pro. I published Reels, Stories, Carousels, and static posts using social media best practices, including hooks, captions, hashtags, and posting cadence, to increase engagement rate, reach, and follower growth. I also built audience-growth partnerships with campus and creator accounts, including @barstoolvtech, @thehokiebird, and @redbull. I monitored account insights to see which content performed best and apply those lessons to future posts. I even oversaw the creation and sale of @judge_on_scooter merchandise, including stickers and T-shirts, with all proceeds benefiting local charitable organizations. Averaging 61.9k views across 81 posts (5.01 million views total), the result of countless hours of hard work was a recognizable brand voice that made educational content entertaining, shareable, and consistently on-trend.
For nearly three years at Virginia Tech Dining Services, I got a front-row view of how a high-volume business runs. I saw how customer experience, speed, and consistency drive satisfaction and repeat business, which is the same loyalty-and-retention thinking behind brand marketing. Serving a constantly changing customer base taught me to read needs quickly, communicate clearly, and adjust my approach in the moment, much like tailoring a message to an audience. I also gained hands-on insight into supply chain and inventory operations, including how stock levels, prep timing, and demand shape what a team can deliver, and I learned to prioritize and solve problems under pressure to keep service accurate and on time. Working alongside a team through rush periods reinforced how efficiency, adaptability, and collaboration turn a good product into a reliable customer experience, and that mindset shapes how I approach marketing today.
Working as a marketing and real estate intern at ColorVibe LLC was my first internship experience, and it gave me hands-on exposure to marketing in the real estate space. I supported Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) campaigns, the USPS direct mail program that lets businesses target households by postal route, working with real estate agents to reach local prospects through printed mailers. I also supported social media marketing for agents, helping keep their branding and messaging consistent across print and digital channels. In addition, I spoke with clients on customer support calls, answering questions, resolving issues, and helping keep campaigns on track. The role taught me how direct mail and social media work together to generate leads, and it strengthened my skills in client communication, campaign support, and working with small-business clients.