Intern Chronicles: Julia is Busy & Loving It!

Girl standing in front of a brick wall with hands on her hips

This is part 2 of a 3-part series featuring Julia LeMunyon, a rising junior from Longwood University. Julia is working with the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) International Builders’ Show® marketing and sponsorship teams during NAHB’s 9-week internship program.

As I delve into my fifth week here at NAHB, marking the halfway point of this summer internship, I am able to reflect on all that I have learned and experienced in such a short amount of time. The past four weeks have been action packed with projects, meetings, presentations, and so many other things I never thought I’d have the opportunity to be a part of; I feel more and more grateful each day for this invaluable and hands-on learning experience.

I have settled into a (mostly) efficient groove regarding my morning commute and typical day, despite some hiccups… like when I accidentally got off the metro three whole stops late despite having had the same commute every day for the past few weeks. I have come to really enjoy taking the metro and the short walk to the office every day, it’s great people watching and a good time for me to think about what I need to get done in the next few hours. I have grown closer with the other interns through our frequent coffee trips to Peet’s across the street and we’ve talked of plans and things to do together outside of work. I think having the ability to form real friendships in a professional environment is an incredibly unique benefit of this internship.

As I look back on my calendar to find some examples of the work I am doing here, I realize I’ve never been busier in my life – and it’s not a bad thing! Currently, I have quite a few open projects. These include my blogs, working on the AMC program, curating social media posts, discovering industry influencers, helping to lead a marketing plan for a new product, and so many more challenging yet rewarding tasks all relating to my interest in marketing. I am learning so much. Using Smartsheet and an online calendar is all new to me, and admittedly my biggest struggle is staying organized and on top of projects and deadlines. I’ve developed a system where I come into my office every day and the first thing I do is write down the times of all my meetings that day and everything that needs to be worked on and stick it right on to my computer as a constant reminder… it’s not perfect but it works!

I genuinely love the NAHB work environment, the people I’ve met, and all that I have learned so far about the crazy world of marketing. The responsibility I have been given as an intern has allowed me to get the most out of everything I do and I know that my newfound ability to apply what I have learned and observed here to my everyday life, classes, and future endeavors is incredibly beneficial and I can credit this to the amazing marketing team and the hands-on aspect of my work. This experience has already taught me so much about my interests and goals for the future and I very much look forward to the next few weeks and what they have in store for me… if they’re anything like the lasts I know they’ll be great!

Don’t miss the conclusion of Julia’s internship journey with part 3 of this 3-part series, releasing in late-July.

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