*Articles reflect the views of the author and those quoted and do not necessarily represent the views of CCBC or the CCBC Connection.
Emily Heiger
It was a bright and sunny afternoon when I parked my car in the parking lot of Hiss United Methodist Church. The parking lot was next to empty, and the building was silent as I anxiously paced around checking every detail. Everything had to be perfect. The silence quickly turned into laughter and the sound of children.
Is everything set up correctly? Are the volunteers arriving yet? Will all the registered guests show up? Within a few short hours, over one hundred kids started arriving for the church’s annual Easter Egg Hunt event, and I oversaw making sure everything ran smoothly. For me, this was an opportunity to practice my communication skills, but for the church it was an opportunity to reach the community and beyond.
This was not just an egg hunt, it was planning, organizing, setting up, advertising, and it was an aspect of an internship.
Some community college students may focus on the hustle and bustle of everyday classes just to get to graduation day, but there is an aspect of this experience that is sometimes overlooked by students. That is an invaluable internship experience.
When internships are mentioned, some may think of obtaining a position at a big, well-known company to make coffee, answer phone calls, and take the trash out, but it is important to overlook this stereotype and realize that a valuable internship experience can come from a local store, non-profit organization, or even a church. There could be an unknown opportunity awaiting you in your own community.
As a community college student working towards graduation day just as the majority do, I registered for my Spring semester classes when I needed two more credits. This inspired me to branch out from what I was used to and seek obtaining an internship.
Like many college students taking classes full time, I wondered how I was going to find an internship that fits my needs and schedule so soon. I started searching for internships that would work with my schedule.
After considering my needs, schedule, and options, I remembered that more than large companies, small, non-profit organizations could utilize the knowledge and assistance of young students through an internship. 
I completed my two-credit internship this semester at Hiss United Methodist Church with a focus in social media and advertising and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Through my internship I had the opportunity to test my communication skills in the real world. I believe that hands on experience is the best way to gain experience and learn vital information in any field.
I oversaw planning and hosting the church’s annual Easter Egg Hunt. With over one hundred kids in attendance, the event was of great importance to the church in terms of outreach and opportunity.
To plan this event, I first thought through the logistics of what was needed, advertised for volunteers, assigned volunteers to various positions, and coordinated the running of the entire event.
People were needed to help fill eggs, hide them on the day of the event, greet attendees, work in stations such as crafts, snacks, and more.
I learned that there are many factors that need to be considered before, during, and after an event is held. It is vital to take feedback and observations received from the event and consider applying it to future events to increase the success and reach.
As I describe in further detail below, this reminds me of reviewing and applying analytics to social media posts. Both feedback/observations, and analytics provide communication professionals on important information to help the event outperform the last while growing exposure and widening impact.
After taking various communication and media study courses at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) I was able to effectively and efficiently create and schedule Instagram and Facebook posts advertising the church, its events, and services.
It was interesting to view the analytics of each post as each post had a different outcome. I worked toward changing my future posts to align with the times users were most active on the apps, who were viewing the posts, and viewing over time.
Through enhancing posts to fit the specific and best analytics for the accounts, Hiss United Methodist Church was able to reach a wider audience of both followers and some non-followers.
One of my goals during the semester was to also create a TikTok account for the church. This was a fun opportunity as I explored popular trends and trends specifically for churches. The account was born in early April of 2025 and has already received thousands of views and over a thousand "likes" total.
Obtaining content and finding a TikTok trend to relate it to was not always easy, but a fun experience. I had never posted content on TikTok for a business or official organization before.
Besides communications related tasks, interning gave me the experience of working with others in a professional setting. I worked to effectively communicate with church staff members, volunteers, and guests/visitors.
Learning collaboration skills in a workplace and business setting was another essential aspect of my learning. All job settings require the ability to work amongst others. Gaining early experience taught me how to effectively work with others while gaining confidence in my ability to do so.
This internship inspired me to go out and continue to effectively use my communication skills as I eventually further my schooling, internship experiences, and career exploration.
I encourage anyone reading this that may be on the fence about participating in an internship while in community college to go for it. Gain the early experiences. Expand your resume. Most importantly, go out and learn, enhance your skills, and explore what you are passionate about.
Children smiled as they walked back to the parking lot with their families, went through their bags full of candy and fun surprises, and showed their parents the craft they made. After the church was cleaned up and the last volunteer was gone, I left the Easter Egg Hunt with a full heart and mind. As I pulled my car out of the parking lot at Hiss United Methodist Church, I left with a smile on my face knowing that I had gained real world experience in the field of communications while making a difference not only at the church but in the community.
