by Samantha Cohen, ’25

This semester, I had the wonderful opportunity to intern at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Indianapolis. Though it was my first internship experience, I can confidently say that I won’t soon forget the skills that I learned during my time at the JCC. I am so grateful for the period that I spend learning and growing, not only as a communications intern, but as a member of the greater Indianapolis community.

I grew up on the southside of Indianapolis, and my family never really ventured to the northside of Indianapolis. My family is part Jewish, and it is something that I have taken a strong interest in in the past several years. It wasn’t until I came to Butler that I found out that Indianapolis had a JCC. As a strategic communication major looking for internships to gain experience, it seemed like kismet that this opportunity would appear – I knew I had to apply. And to my surprise, I got the internship!

My time at the JCC allowed me to get out of the classroom and into a real-world communications setting, something I had no knowledge of before. I was able to strengthen my skills in interviewing, writing, and video production and learn new ones like graphic design in Adobe programs and social media strategy. Though learning new things was not without its hurdles, I am glad to have done so under the wonderful guidance and mentorship of my supervisor, Hanna. I am so greatly appreciative of her expertise, and what I have learned from her.

Some of my favorite projects that I worked on at the JCC were the summer hiring video, in which I put together existing footage, interviews, and graphics to advertise and recruit for summer job openings at the JCC. I also enjoyed working on creating content for the JCC’s Earth Day; I got to plan social media posts leading up to the event in May, and then create content for the JCC’s social media.

I absolutely loved my experience at the JCC – from learning new skills related to what I’m studying, to growing my connections with the Indianapolis community and the Jewish faith, I am all around grateful for my experience. Time flew by, and I can’t believe that it’s already over, but the lessons I learned at the JCC will be with me for the rest of my career, and maybe even my life.