BUILDING HER CAREER AS NEW DLE SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN

Katie Kelly got a first-hand lesson in the value of networks.

Last month, as her friend Emma Braun was winding down her role as the DLE’s Social Media Intern to begin training season on the women’s crew team at Syracuse University, Katie got connected.

With Emma’s referral, Katie contacted DLE Operations Assistant Nicole Laureyns and voiced her interest in the internship. Her enthusiasm and experience earned her an interview and subsequently, the opportunity to follow in her friend’s footsteps.

“When presented with the DLE internship from Emma, I was excited to see a position that fit my goals and strengths. What pushed me over the edge was the tight-knit community and shared values.”

A junior at Fordham University, Katie is majoring in Communications and Culture, with a concentration in Media, and minoring in Sports Journalism. In her new role, Katie will develop her skills in event planning, social media and program marketing.

She builds on solid experience, having served as the events coordinator for “The Comm Collective,” a group that provides Communications students at Fordham University opportunities to advance their careers and find jobs. She serves as the social media and marketing manager for the Instagram account for Fordham’s Best Buddies, an organization that works with individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. And there’s more. Katie is a founding member of “The Herd,” a newly formed student group involved with Fordham athletics that is looking to increase student body awareness, attendance and atmosphere for sporting events.

Although her hometown roots are in Saratoga, NY, Katie is an avid Boston sports fan. Like many other Patriots fans, she was conflicted about Brady winning another Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “I am happy he is doing so well, but it is hard to see him winning another Super Bowl with a different team,” she said after the win.

Determined to conquer the isolating impact of the pandemic, Katie challenged herself to learn new skills. She learned embroidery and rekindled her love for skiing, which had gone dormant since her days on her high school alpine skiing team. Last month, she took to the slopes at Jiminy Peak, coincidentally located 20-minutes away from the DLE’s Berkshire headquarters.

It appears this is a meant-to-be connection, says Katie. “I am looking forward to not only applying my own experience to the DLE, but also learning and growing through my time here.”