By Delaney LePage
Juliana Dellamarggio is the quintessential example of a Harrington School overachiever. During her senior year, the public relations and communication studies major completed three exceptional internships simultaneously during both semesters of her senior year. I sat down with her to discuss the work she has done and her thoughts on her time at the Harrington School.
Q: What were the internships you completed senior year?
J: My first internship was with the Harrington School as a member of the Harrington Media Agency. With that group, I was a member of the e-newsletter team, and I wrote stories about events, research, experiential learning opportunities, outstanding students, and spotlights on new faculty and graduating seniors. My next internship was as the Corporate Sponsorships and Community Relations Intern with Newport Harbor Corporation under adjunct professor Gail Alofsin. There, I was able to work on the 2018 Newport International Boat Show, and, then, began helping plan the 2019 show by drafting sponsorship agreements and creating recap reports for clients from the 2018 show. Finally, I was a Marketing Intern for URI Summer Sessions, where I created flyers for classes that are offered, student testimonials, and helped plan the annual Summer Info & Eats event.
Q: Why did you seek these internships?
J: After taking COM 351 Organizational Communication Skills with Gail, I knew I wanted to work with her. She makes you want to be a better person, and I knew she would help me grow in my career since you learn so much just by spending 10 minutes with her. The Harrington Media Agency came up when I was enrolled in PRS 320 (Strategic Media Relations) with Dr. Lisa Bergson. She approached me to ask if I would be interested in working for the media agency. I knew if she trusted me, I had to do it. Finally, I met John Olerio and Nicole Cook through Gail and when the opportunity came up in Summer Sessions office, I thought it would be interesting to work for them.
Q: What are your most memorable experiences during your internships?
J: One of the most memorable experiences was being a part of the media team to cover the 2018 Christiane Amanpour Lecture. I was able to ask questions directly of Carole Radziwill and really get to know her since I was writing the story for the newsletter about the lecture. Another was being able to be Gail’s Teaching Assistant for the Career Rhode Trip in January. I was able to connect with so many professionals and alumni in and around New York City. I was able to really learn from them what it takes to get a job and be successful in the PR and communications world.
Q: What were some important lessons you learned during your internships?
J : The most important lesson was definitely time management. Having three different internships in three different locations made me write everything down to make sure I had enough time to work on everything that was given to me. The second was that networking is key. I have met so many people through all of my internships, which has helped me prepare for my career.
Q: How has the Harrington School helped prepare you for your future career?
J: The Harrington School has offered many programs that have helped me prepare for my career, including the Career Rhode Trip to New York City. We visited so many companies, and, as a result, I was able to figure out what I wanted in a company. I learned how to network with and learn from prominent alumni. I am also a member of the Harrington School Mentoring Program, and with the help of my mentor, Sammi Vogel, I was able to really narrow down what I wanted to do in my career. She is amazing and helped me figure out the steps I needed to take to be successful.
Q: What advice do you have for future Harrington School students?
J: Take any opportunity that comes your way. If I didn’t take any of the internships I had, I would have never grown as an individual and expanded my network. Also, make connections with your professors. They are only there to help you grow and want to see you succeed.They may be the ones to bring you some amazing opportunities.
Q: What are your plans for after graduation?
J: I am currently looking for jobs in the New York City area. My goal is to work in the entertainment or media industry, but I am open to any opportunities that come my way. In the future, I hope to work for the Walt Disney Company in any capacity.