The time has come for our spring interns to say farewell to our Cohear team. It is always bittersweet to part with such amazing team members but we couldn’t be happier for their next steps. As they begin to transition from the team, we wanted to take a moment to share their thoughts, accomplishments, and favorite moments during our time together.
What We Did
Celine: I got a chance to write copy for newsletters, social media, and design visuals. I also utilized my previous analytical skills to pull data for digital media metrics, view trends on how content was performing and why, write up reports on ways to optimize our platforms, and how to use Ads and SEO to boost our performance for our future projects and developments.
Claire: In my time at Cohear, I had the really impactful opportunity to listen in on focus groups and hear some powerful personal stories. From there, I wrote several focus group summaries where I got to craft recommendations based on the experiences of everyday experts. I also helped with the upcoming new website refresh by condensing Cohear’s past work into case studies on topics like justice, education, and workforce development.
Nana: As a policy and communications intern, I have had the opportunity to listen to focus groups, transcribe them, and summarize the transcriptions accordingly. I was also to compile demographic data at the end of each project and synthesize recurring solutions spotted over various focus groups. It brings me great joy to know that I am doing my part to bring about needed solutions in each community.
What We Learned
Celine: Besides writing and creative skills, I learned to trust myself more. Having the support and opportunity to express my thoughts and ideas meant I could become more comfortable with the material I was putting out. I also learned the true importance of brand acknowledgment and company guidelines. You never know just how much impact a single sentence can have until it’s seen by hundreds of people in a matter of seconds.
Claire: Sitting in on so many focus groups allowed me to reflect a lot on how I want to form connections and build community within my own life. I think my time at Cohear gave me a lot of hope in the power of grassroots, personal connections, and making lasting impacts on people’s everyday experiences.
Nana: I learned the importance of understanding the target community and what it actually needs. In my life, I have learned that it is important to understand what people are saying and be able to communicate that effectively. Through this position, I have been able to sharpen my skill in listening to understand what is actually being said.
What Helped The Most
Celine: Receiving honest feedback allowed me to grow in my confidence and learn how to move forward in my thinking and work. There’s always room for improvement but knowing I was on the right path and not walking through the dark all the time aided me to push through anything that was sent my way.
Nana: What helped me be successful in this role is first knowing that everyone was always willing to help. Secondly, receiving feedback on the work I delivered helped me to know what I need to work on and apply that to future projects.
The Advice We’d Give
Celine: Don’t be so hard on yourself. Everyone has come from a similar position and understands what it feels like to be new to a certain skill set or role within a company. Know that your time and expertise are just as valuable and may truly inspire your teammates to think in ways they haven’t before!
Claire: Try to reach out and talk to everyone on the team! They are all so friendly and have great stories, experiences, and advice to share.
Nana: Be willing to learn from everyone on the team. Take in your time here and learn as much as you can. Don’t be scared to ask for help.
Our Favorite Moments
Celine: I’d say my favorite moments were the unfiltered laughs and commentary from the team whether through daily morning check-ins or slack comments. I’ll always remember the feeling of knowing you’re in a safe space with so many other perspectives on life and with people who genuinely care about the work they are doing.
Claire: I think some of my favorite moments were the intense debates in morning meetings about serious topics, the likes of which included the Bengals and Kanye West. I also really enjoyed all of my one-on-one meetings with team members. They were all so fun to chat with and had really interesting things to share.
Nana: My favorite moments were getting to learn more about the team as they shared what they did each weekend at the Monday morning meeting. Hearing about people’s families, pets, and favorite foods was very insightful and helped me gain a better understanding of everyone.