by Lauren Merk

This semester I have had the privilege of working at Trinity Free Clinic in Carmel, Indiana. The Catholic nonprofit provides free healthcare to Hamilton County residents who would otherwise not have access to medical attention. Having never completed an internship, I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but after a semester at the Clinic, I can truly say that my experiences have been invaluable.

On my first day interning, my supervisor and director of marketing, Autumn Zawadzki, made me feel welcomed. It was clear from the beginning that she was going to give me opportunities to learn and further develop my marketing and PR skills. I wrote press releases, researched sponsors and community partners, and spent a lot of time helping Autumn plan the Clinic’s annual fall fundraiser, the 5K Run for Wellness. I also spent the semester working on a comprehensive PR plan for the Clinic. The plan includes ideas for future marketing programming and offers a comprehensive look at the Clinic’s PR and marketing strategies. I was incredibly excited to work on this project and leave ideas with an organization that now means so much to me.

I cannot fully express in just 200 words how appreciative I am for my experience at Trinity Free Clinic. The professional experience I gained is invaluable and the opportunity to witness and be part of the Clinic’s mission was humbling. I have grown so much this semester and owe so much of that to my internship.