In 2018 I was a sophomore in high school enduring the hardships of my first advanced English course. I hated every minute of it. Rhetorical analysis is a discipline of literature that I would not wish upon my worst enemy. At the time, I would come home every single night and complain to my parents about the score on my practice paragraph that day– 70%. For the first time in my life, I had begun to feel a sense of animosity toward the thing I loved the most.
During that year, my dad never ceased to remind me, “Although you hate it now, it is difficult teachers who will make you a harder-working student and a more concise writer.” I vehemently disagreed.
Five years later, I am taking my final three courses needed for my degree in English Literature from the University of Colorado Boulder. Unfortunately, it turns out that my dad was right and I have only grown to love literature and writing more every single day. I have spent the past three years voraciously reading and writing because I simply cannot get enough! As much as I hate to admit it, my 10th grade advanced English class primed me to be a critical thinker, analytical writer, effective communicator and overall literature lover.
I have always wanted to experience the bountiful opportunities that an internship offers; but with so little time left, where would I ever find an opportunity to do so? Luckily, I believe the universe always provides you with what you need at exactly the right time. I may have had a teacher in high school that made me want to pull my hair out…but in college, serendipity intervened and I met a professor who has changed my life. Without her, I never would have known about opportunities like the one at Barefoot and the possibilities that await me over the next 12 weeks (and really, the rest of my life).
I am thrilled to be interning for Barefoot PR this spring and I’m ready to explore how I can apply my skills to something that is both entirely out of my comfort zone and impactful for the Mile High City and beyond! I am eager to learn all I can in my short amount of time here and I am excited to do what I do best– communicate. I am here under the mentorship of the Strategy team to help your organization find the words to best express what you want to say to the world.
Written by Elizabeth Gould, Spring Strategy Intern