THE IMPACT OF INTERNSHIPS

Where are they now?

SOPHIA RICHARDS, Past Chamber Intern

This is Sophia Richards. You may remember her from her time with us at The Chamber! Sophia served as a social media and content creation intern with The Chamber for two semesters. She will be graduating from NDSU this year with her bachelor’s degree in strategic communication.

While at The Chamber, Richards assisted with social media work, event photography, writing and photo and video editing. Richards explained that she enjoyed her time at The Chamber, as she was given an opportunity to grow and learn, as well as impact the community. “Getting to create social media content for The Chamber was my favorite aspect of my role,” Richards explained. “The Chamber’s amazing professional development and networking opportunities and educational events are so important to the community, and getting to share that with our followers and members was extremely impactful.”

Within her role at The Chamber, Richards claimed that it really prepared her for her next step in the professional landscape. “I learned how to conduct myself as a young professional, how to take direction and how to network and communicate with people,” Richards said. “I even met my new boss at a Business After Hours event, which happened to be my favorite networking event.” Not only did she learn professional skills, but she also had the opportunity to hone in on her stage presence, conducting interviews with Chamber members and event sponsors, which was great practice for her new role.

Richards now serves as host and producer of North Dakota Today, the morning show for Valley News

Live in Fargo. Within this role, she researches ideas for live segments and gets them across the finish line, interviewing guests, filming content and producing the show. When asked about her favorite part of her job, Richards said, “getting to highlight all of the amazing events, organizations and individuals in our community by featuring them on the show.”

Looking ahead to the future, Richards hopes to complete The Chamber’s FMWF Leadership program to take her professional development, connections and community impact to the next level. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT LEADERSHIP FMWF ON PAGE 38. When asked if she were to offer any advice to current interns who aspire to achieve success mirroring her own, Richards encourages that interns, “work hard and make connections,” She stated, “Part of being an intern is seeing how well you fit in with the work culture and making an effort to get to know your coworkers is a big aspect of that.”

Having interns at your company is a great opportunity for businesses and young adults alike. The Chamber proudly hires interns each year to assist with the vital work it takes to serve the community. Richards was part of The Chamber’s internship program for several months and she hopes to see more businesses adopting internship programs for young adults. “Having an intern program is extremely rewarding for both the company and the interns,” Richards explained. “Interns can bring ideas and an extra set of helping hands to your business. Who doesn’t need that?”