Saralynne Liston

SBU 430 78
Dr. Catie Clark- Gordon
October 31, 2023
Internship Experience Summary
Introduction:
During my senior year at Seton Hill, I am completing an internship at Education Media
Foundation (EMF) where I will gain real life experience in media marketing and promotions.
Upon graduation I will have a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization
in marketing. My past experiences include roles as a veterinary technician where I branched out
and expanded my expected role as a vet tech to include organizing and executing food drives
and fundraisers. I currently work at EMF as a brand ambassador for K-LOVE radio. My role is
very limited. It is a part time position and I simply attend events and promote the radio station. I
am not involved in any behind-the-scenes preparation. My goal is to one day become a
marketing manager in my office. This internship has provided me with a mixture of
opportunities to learn more about how events are sought out, how partnerships are created,
and so much more that is involved with the daily activities of a marketing manager in keeping
the office successfully intact and providing free promotional opportunities for many other non-
profits in our community. My goal for the end of this internship is to seek out and develop a
brand-new partnership all on my own from start to finish and execute an onsite presence.

Information About the Organization:

Educational Media Foundation (EMF) is a nonprofit, multi-platform media company on a
mission to draw people closer to Christ. Founded in 1982 in Santa Rosa, CA, with a singular radio
station, EMF today owns and operates the nation's two largest Christian music radio networks
(K-LOVE and Air1) with over 1,000 broadcast signals across all 50 states, streaming audio
reaching around the world, and a growing family of media ministries including podcasts, books,
films, concerts, and events. EMF employs nearly 500 team members between its offices in
Nashville, TN, Rocklin, CA, and field locations around the country. My internship is taking place
in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania office. The Pittsburgh Community Engagement Team was put in
place about 13 years ago and has continued to grow. At events, people look forward to stopping
at the booth to say hello and share their stories of how K-LOVE has impacted, changed, and
even saved their life.

Expectations and Responsibilities:

When accepting this internship opportunity, I expected to grow my knowledge base of nonprofit
organizations and how to advance my skillset and capabilities of being better prepared for a
promotional role within the organization, more specifically a manager role. Although the
manager role is my ultimate goal, there is one other position available in the Pittsburgh office, a
marketing coordinator role, which I would be ecstatic to obtain as I work my way up the ladder.
My internship will include job shadowing both the marketing coordinator as well as the
marketing manager to gain a deeper understanding of what goes on in order for us to execute
an onsite presence. Aside from onsite events, the office also works with other nonprofit
organizations to provide free promotions for their events as well as general promotion of the
resources they provide to the community. I will also learn how to prepare on-air copy, submit
on-air giveaways, learn how to develop myself professionally as well as skills to mentor, coach,
and develop employees as a leader. I am excited to not only be able to learn the behind the
scenes of how EMF runs, but also how to develop into a leader which is a skill I can take to other
organizations should the opportunity arise. As a final project, I will be expected to fully develop
and execute a new partnership with an organization in the community for the Pittsburgh team
and volunteers to attend and serve at. It is expected that this partnership will then continue for
years to come.

Work Project Accomplishments:

As of now, I have currently secured a partnership. During our partnership call I was able to
discuss a little bit about what K-LOVE is and what we were able to offer the organization. They
were already familiar with the radio station. I was able to offer the organization on-air
promotion by utilizing a “nonprofit service announcement, (NSA)” as well as discussing an
onsite presence with our volunteers. I will prepare a 15 second on-air copy to submit which will
provide awareness of this organization to local listeners and then direct them to the
organization’s website where they will see they are also able to sign up to serve at a local event.
I have secured 17 volunteers to serve alongside us at this event.

New Skills or Understandings Acquired:

Throughout my internship time thus far, I have learned so much about partnerships, the
requirements of a partnership, the expectations of the partnership, as well as meeting
preparation and follow thru. My onsite supervisor has been very encouraging and helpful. I have
gained confidence in myself by seeing how quickly I am able to pick new things up and how I
have been able to overcome fears of failure. I think because it’s an internship, although I want
to do well, I feel less pressure to be perfect and more freedom to be wrong which allows me to
be more open and suggestive. The support and encouragement I receive from my supervisor
has helped me to see that sharing an idea that is not the best is ok. We then work together to
find ways to take suggestions and twerk them in a way that makes sense.

Future Plans and Internship Influence:

My future plans are to continue at EMF and eventually become a marketing manager.
Throughout my experience here, and learning more about nonprofits, should my plans not
come to pass, I would like to continue working in a nonprofit organization even if it is not at
EMF. I have even investigated obtaining a non-profit management certificate after graduation to
provide me with more expansive knowledge and qualifications in a role at another nonprofit
organization.

Academic Preparation for the Internship Experience:

I felt very prepared for my internship academically. Business Strategy helped guide me to
develop the best ways to incorporate an onsite presence and partnership strategies which
aligned with our objectives to help us meet our quarterly goals. My writing and effective speech
classes provided me with skills I have utilized in sounding professional, and clearly
communicating what I wanted to relay to listeners, partners, and volunteers. My HR
management class and HR Capstone I am currently enrolled in have helped me get an idea of
what kind of leader I want to be and how to effectively lead people in a way that aligns and
supports the goals and objectives of the organization itself as well as the local team. Rachel, my
onsite supervisor, was essential in helping me grow in concepts and ideas regarding mentoring
and developing strategies to help others grow personally and professionally.

Recommendations and Conclusions:

If I could provide any future recommendations, it would be maybe informing student more in
advance so they could prepare to think ahead about what kind of company they may want to
internship at and be more prepared with how much time would be required each week before
the internship began. I have had 3 advisors in my time at Seton Hill, so maybe in a normal
circumstance this is relayed earlier but I felt it was kind of rushed. I would have been able to do
my internship in the spring but personally, I would have rather known at the beginning of the
year that it was coming up so I could start thinking ahead and preparing. It was a little bit of a
struggle getting 16 hours a week in separate from my other studies and work. I can’t imagine
how someone with a full-time job and family is able to complete an internship. I know it is an
essential part to prepare us for the future and I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to
internship at my current place of employment. It has been an eye opening and exciting
experience, and I am so excited for the future.