Gwen Walstra

Major: Communication (Concentration - Public Relations & Strategic Communication); Minor: Event and Meeting Management  

Events Intern, Sandy Pines

1.) How did you learn about this internship opportunity? 

 I knew of this venue because It is right next to my house! I worked with Sarah McCord from the CLA Career Services Center in contacting venues and finding an internship.

2.) How has your internship helped build your skills and clarify your career goals?  How do you apply your Liberal Arts skills to your internship?  

 Working at a wedding venue, it was a perfect balance of sitting at the computer
(schedule tours, creating social media posts, and designing layouts for weddings) while
also up and moving (setting up for weddings, creating centerpieces, and giving tours). I
know after this summer that having a balance between sitting at a desk and moving
around is something that is important to me in my future career.

Being a Liberal Arts student at Purdue helped me at my internship because I had
extensive knowledge on how to work with people and perform at my best.

3.) What is a piece of advice you would give someone looking for an internship?  

It is okay to try an internship without knowing that the position is something you want to
pursue as your career! The point of internships is to get a taste of what it would be like to
look in that position, it is good to try things out!

4.) What specific responsibilities have you undertaken during your internship?

While interning at The Pavilion (wedding venue) this summer I took over giving tours to
brides looking for a venue. I also ran social media and used my camera to gather
content during weddings. I worked weddings, serving appetizers, dinner, and cleaned
up.

5.) In what ways has the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University supported your internship journey? How has your participating in our job-ready program specifically aided your professional development? 

The College of Liberal Arts has been so helpful! Without the Job-Ready program I would
not have been able to take this internship and would not have gotten the experience I
have now.

6.) Could you highlight a standout aspect of your experience in this program that you find particularly noteworthy? 

 Because of receiving the Job-Ready award it made me want to get the absolute most out
of my internship this summer.