GK Members Get Internships Through Dream Careers: Ashley’s Story

Yesterday, we shared Golden Key member Jennifer’s experience with Dream Careers.  Dream Careers is the world’s leading internship program provider and Golden Key has partnered up with them to provide our “Global Internship Initiative.” Golden Key members that participate in a Dream Careers program get several special benefits such as a waived application fee. If you’re interested in being placed in an internship through Dream Careers, read about benefits in yesterday’s blog.

Today, we are continuing our highlights of four Golden Key members that took advantage of this program in the summer of 2013.

Next up is Ashley Black, a junior at Arizona State University who has been a GK member since October 2012. Ashley hopes to pursue a career in public relations upon graduation in May of 2015. You may remember Ashley from a previous blog post as she won our scholarship to attend the Dream Careers program at no cost.  Now that she has completed the internship, she is excited to tell her story:
I traveled to New York City for my program with Dream Careers where I interned at a public relations firm– Entertainment Fusion Group. The PR company works with lifestyle, fashion and beauty. EFG has clients such as Red Carter swimwear, Keratin Complex, Ongossamer lingerie, and many more. While I did basic intern tasks such as organizing, preparing, filing and coffee runs, I was also able to get hands-on experience with pulling clothes and jewelry for editors and stylists. I even had practice writing pitches and more. The internship was for two months and I learned something new every day. 
My favorite part of the program was experiencing New York City. I truly feel the saying, “If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere,” is so true. I feel so blessed that I had this opportunity. I met amazing people, learned a lot, created great connections and fell in love with the big city!  My least favorite part of the experience was leaving…New York City stole my heart. No Regrets. 
I participated in a few planned weekend activities that Dream Careers provided along with exploring the city on my own. I had three amazing roommates from all over the world and we got along great. This was so beneficial because we were able to explore some of the greatest shopping, yoga and places to eat in New York. I also enjoyed the Jersey Boys show we saw with the group along with a few other tourist attractions I participated in. 
Among the many benefits, Dream Careers offers career seminars and coaching.  I attended every seminar available, which was held every other Wednesday. We were able to hear from very well-known professionals and even Dream Career alumni. The coaching helped prepare me for what to expect and I knew there was always someone there if I needed any guidance or help. I feel that with the help of Dream Careers, I was able to give my very best effort and gained so much from the internship. I know that I will be much more competitive with this experience under my belt. 
I learned so much from this experience. The most valuable lesson I learned is to outwork everyone and you will succeed. I gave each and every day all of my effort from start to finish and it was recognized. Personally, I learned to take the best out of every situation. Even when I had hard days, I looked at the positives and thought to myself: this is an incredible experience, don’t waste even a minute being pessimistic. 
I know that my experience with Dream Careers will help me secure a job in the future because I gained experience in the PR field, I learned about a marketing program called ‘cision’ that is a necessary tool to know in the PR world, made connections and grew up a lot in two months. 
If I met a student that was thinking of participating in a Dream Careers program, I would say don’t hesitate for a second. This program taught me so much about myself, what I want in life, and really was an experience I will never forget. I met friends I will keep in touch with forever, made great networking connections, and found a city that I want to move to!
I am just so thankful for receiving the scholarship and I am glad that Golden Key will continue to offer this to students because it changed my life. I know that sounds cliché but I felt stuck before and now that I have experienced NYC, my goals are even higher, my entire mindset has changed, and I grew so much as a person. I didn’t realize how much two months could change my opinions, wishes and dreams. Thank you Golden Key and Dream Careers! 
We are so happy that Ashley had such a great experience with her internship through Golden Key and Dream Careers!  Not only did she learn a ton about the PR industry, but she grew and matured as a person living in the “big city.” Our thanks go out to Ashley for sharing her story with all of our members.
Check back on the blog tomorrow for another highlight of a Golden Key member that participated in an internship through Dream Careers!