One of the best parts about interning in Charlottesville is being able to take in all this town has to offer. Even though I have grown up about half an hour away, it has been a unique opportunity to explore the city a little more this summer. Our training for my internship took place right on The Corner, so I really enjoyed my lunchtime walks around the Grounds at UVA and grabbing a delicious Bodo’s sandwich or an iced tea at Grit Coffee. However, one of my favorite activities has been to join my fellow interns at Carter Mountain Orchard for their Sunset Series. Every Thursday, they welcome hundreds of guests for THE BEST apple cider doughnuts and great views over Cville. My other friends in the program loved being able to hang out there!

During our training, I became very close with the other interns in the program. Even though everyone is working at different companies in Charlottesville, NOVA, and Richmond, we all have a Snapchat group that we chat every day. We all stay updated with the different tasks we are working on, joke around, and are even planning on meeting up for dinner later this week! 

At the credit union, I still feel that sense of community with my other coworkers. Even though there are no other interns, I have developed a close working relationship with others in the office. They have included me in webinars about leveraging video marketing for sites like Hulu and Netflix, and have provided me with opportunities to deepen my knowledge in marketing. I also found a unique connection with one of my bosses: I was friends with her son in middle school, where we were in the student council association together. Occasionally, some of the employees will take afternoon walks around Barracks Road, a shopping center beside the office, just to stretch our legs. The office also held a pizza party around the 4th of July, which provided an excellent opportunity for me to get to know some of the other employees in the office!