Meet the Intern: Maddie!
Meet, Maddie. One of our digital media coordinator/copywriter interns. Her main client this year is CH Patisserie and she's been a tremendous hand in matching the social media presence with the excellent quality that is CH Patisserie. Along with assisting in everything from conception and photo shoot production to execution, Maddie's composition skills have really shined. Have you read her press release for TSH? Here.
Name: Madelin (Maddie) Mack
College: SDSU (Go Jacks!)
Major: English – writing emphasis
What projects are you working on at The Sampson House? I tend to do quite a bit of writing for my internship—which is fantastic, since it’s what I love to do. I’m excited to be working on verbiage for some window decals featuring next year’s macarons of the month at CH Patisserie. (Yes, I know what they are. No, I’m not telling.) I’ll also be cranking out a press release for Plum’s Cooking Company, helping to manage the social media accounts and photo shoots for the patisserie, and other projects as assigned, of course.
Favorite thing about your internship? My favorite aspect of my internship is learning to see things (photos, blog posts, etc.) through both the eyes of the client and the eyes of the audience. It’s such a valuable skill to have in the marketing world, and I’m so glad to have the opportunity to develop it through this experience.
What do you spend your time doing when you’re not working on TSH? When I’m not working on TSH, I’m probably working on school or one of my three other jobs—student engagement coordinating at the SDSU Foundation, writing articles for University Marketing & Communications or bartending at Sully’s Irish Pub. I’m also involved in a handful of student organizations on campus—Hobo Day Committee being the most time-consuming of them—and some music ensembles as well. If none of those require my attention, you could find me watching The Office with my roommates, cheering on the Jackrabbits athletic teams, hitting up karaoke with my friends or sleeping (every once in a while)
Kindle or hard copy when reading? And, what are you reading right now? I’m torn—I love having a shelf full of hardcovers, but my impatient side can’t pass up the convenience of immediate download on my Kindle. Right now, I’m switching back and forth between David Sedaris’s Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls (always good for a laugh) and The Nightingale, a book about two estranged sisters in France during the outbreak of World War II.
What is your ideal weekend? My ideal weekend would probably involve a road trip of some kind with my friends—maybe a day or two of camping along the north shore of Lake Superior and another day exploring and shopping in Duluth.
What app could you not live without? I think I’m hilarious, and Twitter gives me a platform for that. As for non-social media apps, I keep Heads Up close at hand. You never know when you’ll need to whip out a loud, obnoxious game to entertain a group of people!
When did you develop an interest in your major? Reading was the only time I could sit still as a kid. It wasn’t long before I starting writing little stories about my friends and classmates, and I had some great teachers who really encouraged me (maybe just to keep me busy and out of their hair, but either way.) When I got to college, I started managing communications and marketing for some student organizations and found I enjoyed using words to encourage people to action. I added a marketing minor to my degree to learn more about how to do that in a professional setting.
If you could have lunch with one woman, who would it be and what would you order? I would have lunch with Tina Fey. I’d order buffalo wings because they’re fantastic and because I feel like she wouldn’t judge me if I don’t look ladylike while eating them.
Best advice you’ve ever received? Respond, don’t react—and always carry a paperback and $20 cash.
What’s your ultimate bucket-list travel destination? I’ve always wanted to see Iceland. It looks like there’s some amazing scenery and hiking opportunities!
Best party you’ve ever been to? The week before Hobo Day a bunch of people did a Pajama Pub Crawl in downtown Brookings—bathrobes, flannel pants, adult onesies, etc. It was super fun (and really comfy)!
Favorite restaurant? My favorite restaurant is The Feather’s Nest Steakhouse in Ward, SD (population 47.) I love it for both culinary and sentimental reasons. My group of friends traditionally makes the short drive from Brookings to Ward a few times a year to celebrate birthdays with soup, salad, and steak, and it is amazing every time.
5 words that best describe you. Spontaneous. Creative. Active. Loyal. Empathetic.
Ultimate dream career? I’ve always wanted to be the person who names nail polish colors. I would also love to write for Saturday Night Live or another comedy show.
What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic? I’m sure this question was meant to inspire self-reflection, but I cheated and asked other people:
“Wit. Also your eyebrows.” –male friend
“Drive.” –female friend
“You have great forearms.” –sister
“Stop fishing for compliments.” –other sister
Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your life. Hobo Day 2014 in and of itself was a huge project I had a hand in, but the part of that experience that meant most to me happened almost month after the event itself. At our wrap-up party, my fellow committee members voted me the hardest worker. To have months of effort acknowledged by my peers and friends was so humbling and meant the world to me. It is still one of the proudest moments of my college career.
