A.Q. Miller School students complete summer internships abroad
Oct. 8, 2024 — This summer, students in the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication completed fulfilling and educational internships around the world, including in Vietnam, South Africa and Turkey. Read the stories below to learn about three of these internship experiences.
Paige Margreiter, advertising and public relations
Paige Margreiter, a junior in advertising and public relations, spent her summer as a communications intern in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Working for MCV Media Group, Margreiter gained hands-on experience over 8,000 miles away from home.
MCV Media Group is the leading content production company in Vietnam. The company produces over 300 television programs and manages over 500 influencers/key opinion leaders. With offices in Vietnam, the U.S., Japan, and Singapore, the company provides extensive marketing and management services.
“I was incredibly nervous to spend the summer so far away from home, but I knew the experience would be valuable for my future career,” said Margreiter. “I wanted to step out of my comfort zone.”
Over the course of two months, Margreiter worked over 240 hours as a part of MCV’s social media marketing team. She completed research reports, design proposals, and attended brainstorming sessions. MCV has started to expand into the American media market, Margreiter’s opinions and knowledge of American culture were a great resource for the company.
“While working at MCV I learned a lot about different marketing and social media strategies used in Vietnam,” Margreiter said. “Their socialist government system requires them to operate a lot differently than in America.”
Life in a foreign country was an exciting new experience for Margreiter. Not only did she learn more about the media industry, but she got to be a part of a completely different way of life as well. Margreiter plans to continue to work with MCV Media Group remotely as they continue to develop content geared towards the American market.
Emma King, communication studies
Emma King, a senior in communication studies, spent the summer in Cape Town, South Africa interning for Living Hope Healthcare Center through K-State's International Service Teams. Living Hope is a nonprofit organization that aims to bring hope and break the despair that poverty and disease can entail.
King’s duties included admitting and discharging patients, managing medical records, leading tours of the hospital, assisting with payroll and working at the front desk. “My time at Living Hope was not just about fulfilling administrative duties. It was a transformative experience that deepened my administrative skills, broadened my knowledge of internal healthcare regulations and operations and fostered a deeper understanding of the impact of healthcare on their communities,” King said.
While in South Africa, King had the additional opportunity to work for Chrysalis Academy, a nonprofit program that focuses on youth development. They work to enhance personal and professional development skills of unemployed youth. The program lasts for three months and the organization receives over 10,000 applications. “In the end, a mere 230 candidates will be accepted,” King said. “Over the course of three days, I personally interviewed over 80 candidates.”
"This internship has exposed me to many more amazing opportunities, like radio interviews, creating marketing plans, being published in local newspapers, social media advertising, and more," King said.
Karadan Kirkpatrick, communication studies
Karadan Kirkpatrick, a junior in Communication Studies, interned at American Friendship Dernek in Istanbul, Turkey over the summer. The community center hosts free events for the local area and invites people to experience different cultures.
“Through the internship, I got to study the local language, the culture and meet local university students. It was an amazing opportunity and something I’ll never forget,” Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick ran the social media for American Dernek, where she would keep the community informed with photos, videos and more information about upcoming events.
“I also got to plan a lot of the American Dernek events, so we would have it in different parts of the city and have picnics, play American football, have game nights, a whole bunch of different, really exciting things that we did this summer.”
