INTERNSHIP INSIGHT: Clare Wendell Solidifies Career Path Through Harvard Athletics Multimedia Experience

BEVERLY, Mass. — Endicott College is a pioneer in requiring comprehensive internship experiences for undergraduate students in every program of study. Clare Wendell (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), who is a marketing communication/ advertising major and a member of the women's lacrosse team, recently interned at Harvard Athletics. Here's a look into her internship experience.

1. Why did you decide to choose Harvard Athletics as your internship? 

The name Harvard would stick out to anyone, but it was honestly the athletics part that made me do a double-take. As a student-athlete myself, working in sports has always been a huge dream of mine, especially at a well-known school such as Harvard. Harvard has 42 varsity sports teams, the most of any college or university in the country. The school's history, combined with its competitive athletic department, only deepened my interest and desire to work with them. Harvard Athletics' mission is to preserve our history, tell our story, and I was more than ready to share their story. 

2. What was the process like to obtain your internship? 

My process was fairly straightforward, with a huge helping hand by the name of Cherie Lynch. Cherie is an amazing internship advisor, and I couldn't thank her enough for all she's done for me over the years. She knew my experience and interest in sports communications and marketing, sending me tons of leads over the summer. When I showed interest in Harvard, she immediately connected me with my now supervisor, and it snowballed from there. I had one interview and knew it was the place for me. 

3. What does a typical day look like for you at your internship? 

There are very few "typical days" when working in sports. Some days are similar to a 9-5, others I'm at a hockey rink until 10 PM. When I'm not working a game, I usually arrive in Harvard Square around 9:30 AM and walk to the office on the athletic campus of Harvard. The office is always lively, filled with sports talk, recaps of last night's games (both Harvard and not), and computers loading video edits, graphics, or stats. There's always something to do, or help with, whether it be a write-up of an athlete or a video shoot on the football field. I love how diverse the tasks can be when working in athletics, always surprising me with new adventures during the week. I'm usually on my way home around 5 PM, unless I'm staying to work one of the many games that occur throughout the week. Over the semester, I've worked with football, men's soccer, and both men's and women's ice hockey programs. Gamedays on the opposite side of the field look a tad different for me, but a similar feeling of excitement nonetheless.

4. What have you learned from this internship that you think will be valuable in your future career?

One of my first days at Harvard, the Athletic Department gathered for an all-staff meeting to kick off the new semester on a high note. Harvard's athletic director presented her motto of the year, which was to "Have fun with it". I can confidently say, I had fun with it.

This internship has taught me that the work world isn't a scary dark cloud that we should fear upon graduation, but instead is a leap of faith. I was terrified going into my first week, having minimal Adobe experience, barely knowing how to use numerous applications, and being bombarded with log-ins, passwords, and assignments. As the semester progressed, I became determined to learn from everyone and everything. I asked for help, I spoke up, I volunteered to assist, and turns out, I made best friends. 

This internship taught me that in order to learn the hard skills, you have to lean on your soft skills. I knew I could communicate, so for the first few weeks of confusion, I used my voice to figure out what others did, tips and tricks, learning first and doing second. I gained invaluable experience with the help of my coworkers, the Harvard Athletics Multimedia and Communication team, a group of relentlessly talented individuals who consistently showed up for each other and bought in for the greater good. I come out of this internship more prepared than ever for my future, eager to continue to learn and expand my knowledge every day possible. I am forever grateful for my time at Harvard, and boy, did I have fun!

5. How has your academic experience at Endicott prepared you for the responsibilities of this internship? 

Endicott has done a great job preparing me for the real world and my semester-long internship. Numerous courses contributed to my overall success at my placement. Promotional writing with William Connolly and Fundamentals of Journalism with Lara Salahi broadened my writing skills, Introduction to Computer Graphics gave me a baseline of Adobe knowledge, and my Professional Communication Portfolio course with Randall Livingstone introduced me to sharing my work as a professional, not a student. 

I am especially grateful to my lacrosse coaches, Maureen Spellman and Nico Prandi, for allowing me to gain hands-on experience by becoming the head social media manager for our team's social media pages since my sophomore year. Running @endicottwlax became my passion project throughout college, and showed me what it takes to successfully share a team's story through social media. It was extra work added on to my already busy schedule, which I came to love. Making graphics, editing videos, and helping showcase the team that I carry so close to my heart. That experience leading up to my semester internship undoubtedly assisted in my work here at Harvard, and gave me something that I will forever cherish. Being a student-athlete at Endicott is filled with opportunities, both on and off the field, and I am eternally grateful that I was able to combine both of my passions to complete an internship I loved. 

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