Hi everyone! My name is Morgan Pratt. I’m a rising senior majoring in Marketing at Rivier University in Nashua. To gain professional experience before graduation, I chose to pursue an internship at the Front Door Agency. It was such a positive and educational experience and the skills I gained and the real-world projects I got to work on made it exciting.

A Virtual Internship During COVID-19

There was something I was skeptical about though: the COVID-19 pandemic would force me to do this internship remotely from home. Bummed is an understatement. I was so eager to meet the team and work with them in person this summer! However, I was ready to make this the best experience possible and, with the help of my supervisor Michelle, we made it work!

As many professionals have discovered over the past few months, working remotely has its pros and cons. Meetings over Zoom and Microsoft Teams are great until there’s technical difficulties. For some people, it’s easier to get distracted at home and perhaps less motivated without a team around you. For others, working from home helps restore a work/life balance. Personally, I found that all I needed was my laptop and a desk and I was set for the day. I created a designated workspace and found myself motivated and excited with every new project sent my way.

Gaining Real-World Experience

Stepping out of the classroom and into the “real world” this summer meant I was learning new skills and finding new resources for my work every day. I knew I wanted to gain experience specifically in graphic design and writing, and I got so much more experience than I imagined I would!

Throughout my internship, I gained experience in the following:

• Writing. I’ve always loved to write, no matter the style or format, and writing my first press release was one of the highlights of the internship. I also helped get the Agency’s blog up and running again with a few new posts.
• Graphic design. This is an area I knew I didn’t have much experience in, but know I will need in the future. I was excited to work with different media platforms and networks. I was introduced to a new online tool that helps you design simple marketing materials, and I actually use it now at a small business I’m helping out with social media! By the end of my internship, I was designing materials that the Agency will actually use, including a marketing manual that anyone in the office could pick up as a resource for anything marketing related, including directions for posting to social media, where to find certain marketing materials, how to make changes to our website, and more
• Reporting. Toward the beginning of my internship, I created a marketing wrap-up report for the Agency’s biggest fundraiser of the year: the Gourmet Festival & Auction. The event had to be moved to an online auction this year which meant we had a bigger social media presence than usual. I learned how to use Facebook Insights to measure success and created a report that was presented to the Agency’s Board of Directors.

Why the Front Door Agency?

The Front Door Agency, is a nonprofit in Nashua that focuses on transforming lives. They provide resources such as educational opportunities, housing, and other basic needs to help people transition from a state of crisis to a state of self-sufficiency. Their mission alone made me feel good about logging on to work every day!

In the beginning of my internship, one of my tasks was to schedule calls with every team member to learn more about their role at the Agency, what their day-to-day looks like, and why they love working at the Agency. Most, if not all, ended our call by telling me that they love getting to help others. Whether it’s a case manager, business admin, or marketing coordinator, all Front Door Agency staff has a positive impact on lives in Greater Nashua every day. They know that their role, whatever it may be, eventually leads to helping someone grow and flourish. THIS is why I was so excited to intern here.

Overall, my experience was exceptional! I wanted to say thank you to my supervisor Michelle, who does so much for this amazing organization. She was a phenomenal mentor to me this summer and made working from home easy. I felt supported with scheduled check-in calls every day, and I received a lot of constructive feedback that helped me learn and grow as a marketing professional.

I definitely recommend the Front Door Agency as a wonderful place to do an internship. I’m thrilled that I had this opportunity and got to meet so many kind people because of it!

For more information about internship opportunities with the Front Door Agency, please contact Michelle at mtoomey@frontdooragency.org.