This week let’s take a minute to give a warm welcome to our summer 2019 marketing interns: Mike Realbuto and Terren Jackson!

Mike Realbuto- Events & Marketing Intern

 

Terren Jackson- Public Relations & Marketing Intern

 

So tell us about yourselves-Where are you from? What internship title did you take on this summer?

Mike: My name is Mike Realbuto and I grew up in the small town of Audubon, PA (near Valley Forge) and took on the Events and Marketing internship at Adoptions From The Heart this summer.

Terren: Well, I’m from Coatesville, Pa. I’m a kind, goofy, determined person who loves writing and entertainment media. This summer I assumed the role of PR intern.

Where are you attending college? What’s your major? Are you a recent graduate? If so, where did you receive your education from? What degree did you graduate with?

Mike: I’ll be entering my third year at Juniata College this fall while working toward a dual major in Marketing and Communications.

Terren: I am an West Chester University Alumna. I graduated with a degree in communication studies and a honors leadership certification.

What interested you in pursuing an internship with AFTH?

Mike: What really intrigued me about a potential internship position at AFTH was the opportunity to gain valuable experience in the career field that I’m pursuing while also being able to contribute and help my community. I’ve always looked for ways to volunteer my time and give back to my community so being able to do this in a capacity that will help me with my future career is a special opportunity for me.

Terren: I’ve always had two passions: writing/media and the youth. So, this felt like a great place to combine those two loves and gain some good experience.

What did you know about adoption before working here?

Mike: Before I joined the AFTH team I thought I knew at least the basics about adoption. I have a few friends who are adopted, so I learned a lot through their stories. After I got here, though, I realized there was so much more that goes into the process and I’ve already learned so much!

Terren: I knew about open and closed adoptions, but that was the extent of my knowledge.

So far during your internship what are some new facts you learned about adoption?

Mike: The first thing I learned when coming to AFTH was the importance of using proper adoption language. It sounds so small, but just the simple difference between saying “putting up” vs the correct “placing” of a child for adoption is something that I learned right away. I was also very happy to learn a lot about open adoption and how special of an experience that can be for all parties involved.

Terren: I learned new Jargon and language. It is more appropriate to say “placed” for adoption rather than “put up”. I also learned that adoption looks different in every situation. Also, I learned that in adoption we do not call the biological parents “birth parents” until after the adoption is finalized.

Internships are all about gaining firsthand learning experiences in your chosen field. What are some PR and Event planning tasks you’ve completed that you never had experience doing before this internship?

Mike: Being thrown right into event planning from the get-go has helped me gain some really great experience in terms of the full cycle of planning events, what goes into it, and the whole process involved. There is so much more to it when you plan an event compared to what meets the eye when simply attending an event. Also, helping with weekly social media posts has been a valuable experience and something that I have really enjoyed doing!

Terren: Prior to this internship I had never used Meltwater, IMDB or Constant Contact and they are some useful tools for building networks and keeping all of your contacts organized. I also never done street team before, which is going out and asking for donations; It teaches you persuasion skills. Lastly, I had never used Hootsuite to manage social media, learning how to use Hootsuite and develop my media management skills has been wonderful. I feel like I’m learning and growing in all media avenues.

What is one thing you want others to know about adoption?

Mike: The one thing that I would want others to know about adoption and something that I will continue to share even after this internship coms to an end is the fact that adoption isn’t necessarily what you see in the movies and the media. The media tend to publicize stories that make good headlines, so I encourage people to do their own research before making any assumptions about what adoption is the process involved.

Terren: Adoption looks different in every case, and I think that’s important to understand when a person is planning to adopt or place a child.