Rapid City and Minneapolis are sisters, not twins. With the utmost respect for my beloved hometown, life in the foothills is less fast-paced, more traditional, and takes a different approach to marketing and communications. With two years under my belt at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, I had been led to believe that the field of communication is elusive and favors the fit. That every day is spent among skyscrapers, elbow to elbow with Fortune 500 executives, thinking about campaigns to launch several years into the future. That a trendy office space offsets the demanding workload, and that I’d be lucky if the boss knew my name.

So, despite touring and researching top marketing and public relations firms in the cities for months, I was still apprehensive to apply to any internships after my sophomore year for reasons you may be able to sympathize with.

I decided to delay the dream of interning in a high rise office, complete with a sparkling water vending machine and an aesthetically pleasing rooftop terrace equipped for midday pondering, and instead started exploring opportunities back home (free rent and groceries were just a few added perks). I found Evergreen Media, and within one week I understood that the core of a genuine media company doesn’t rely on an in-house espresso bar (yes – this is what Minneapolis conditioned me to expect). 

To be honest, a charismatic office steps from a local coffee shop is even better. Collaborating with fellow interns and media professionals-who actually know my name-is even better. Being given meaningful projects that truly benefit the company is even better. Discovering the importance of client relationships, designing sales campaigns, and creating purposeful connections; it’s all better. Evergreen knows their audience, accepts their community, and creates real things that matter to real people. 

Evergreen encouraged me to learn from people who work on opposite spectrums, and to give as much advice as I receive. They reminded me that someday I will be more than an intern, and that every day I spend in the office gives me a chance to move ahead. Spending a summer here reminded me why I chose the communications industry, and generates more excitement to continue studying this fall. No, I didn’t work on a billion dollar account or become buddies with any Big Name CEOs, but I got more than I could have asked for; perspective. I feel confident going into any future interview, internship, or career because of my time spent here, learning from genuine people. And hey, we had FIVE adorable office dogs  – something to be rivaled by any company in Minneapolis.