Technology Internships and Marketing Mentorships

As sad as we are to see the sizzling sunny days shorten, we’re even sadder to say Goodbye to a few beloved members of our team: our interns.

Each summer, TechArk takes on multiple paid interns from local schools like ODU, as well as big names like UVA across the state and Cal Poly in California. This year, we enjoyed the company of Alex, 2020 UVA student, Patrick, 2019 UVA student, and Bansari, 2019 ODU student.

As they return to school this fall, they take with them the experience and knowledge gained here with us TechArkians. Because we love to hear our own praises sung, we asked them each a little about their time with us and wrote a little something about it. Enjoy!

BFFs with last year’s marketing intern, Alex had her hands full this summer helping with social media and marketing strategy.

Tasked with creating an entire marketing strategy, we’d say Alex achieved her goal of gaining some real-life exposure in the marketing world! Website analysis, social media audits, content calendars, and custom photography: Alex had her hands in it all, and she knocked it out of the park for us month after month.

When asked about her favorite person in the office (no pressure) she was ready with the right answer: the marketing mavens! Erika the girl boss, Nancy the prompt worker, and Hannah the helpful deskmate. We knew we liked her.

This smart cookie came into TechArk ready to learn. We’re lucky we had a resident genius on hand who was able to present challenges and encourage critical thinking for young Patrick.

Tasked with creating a search engine from scratch, Patrick spent the summer learning the type of technical development skills most programmers whisper about at night by the light of a dim laptop screen. Look out, Silicon Valley. There’s a new Google in town.

With a goal of gaining practical development experience and learning about the day-to-day operations of agency life, Patrick loved the freedom to be hands-on with his work, while his mentor stayed largely hands-off.

Providing light guidance while encouraging critical problem-solving through the use of technology is exactly the kind of experience we strive to offer our interns here at TechArk, and we know it will serve Patrick well back at school (and beyond). 

The local hero with a great sense of style, Bansari stole our hearts from day one.

We admit it, we just couldn’t bear to see her go, so we offered her a job and we’re thrilled to say she’s accepted! An ODU student (Go Big Blue!) she’s gaining valuable real-world experience while earning her degree. 

Tasked with creating an interactive map of the United States, Bansari painstakingly coded and uploaded sections of geography, bit by bit. Building out a digital software like the ones we use each day to check traffic and find directions, she’s developed skills and built a knowledge base as complex, variable, and detailed as the map she’s composed.

When we asked about her experience with TechArk, we found that she had a lot to say on the subject, so we’ll let Bansari share in her own words: 

Hacker (the good kind)

There are many, many things I love about TechArk. There is definitely a ‘family’ feel working here. All of the team members, from development to marketing, are extremely friendly and form a bond with you instantly.

I really appreciate my mentor, Matthew. No matter how much I don’t know how to do or how many times I don’t get it right, he is always there to patiently guide me through everything. He has never made me feel inadequate or incapable. I have learned A LOT because of him.

Learning how a business works and seeing all of the team meetings that go on everyday and everyone’s hustle in the office really motivates me to do better. It does not matter if Pratik is here or not, tasks get done in the office every day by every team member, while always having a few laughs on the side.

I also really value the monthly meetings. They are very encouraging and make me feel like I am truly part of the team. The meetings keep me informed with everything that is going on in the office.

Hardest. Question. Ever.

Everyone in TechArk has their own uniqueness they bring to the table that I enjoy:

Matthew

He is a great mentor with A LOT of knowledge. I value his dedication to the company and to me. He always walks back-and-forth between his desk and mine to help whenever I need it.

I appreciate his commitment to me as an employee and his patience to me as a student. I will forever be in his debt for everything he has taught me.

Darnley

Definitely someone I look up to as a leader. He is very wise, always knowing exactly what to say and how to say it.

He inspires me the most with his words during the monthly meetings. They’re always motivating and influential.

Joel

Probably the person I relate to most in the office. He is always happy & always brightens my day.

If I’m having a bad day, all I need to do is talk to him. I can always count on him to appreciate my “kicks.”

Wendy

She’s my badass office-mom. I look up to her because she teaches me to never take dirt from anyone and to always speak up for myself (which I have trouble doing some times).

I need someone like that in my life to help me become better.

Michael

Someone who proves me to everyday that you can be playful AND get things done at the same time. He’ll be in an intense work session one minute and the next he’ll be crushing at some ping-pong.

It’s always good to have someone like that around to ease up the tension that comes with deadlines and meetings and any hiccups that come up.

Brandon

He teaches me something new every time I talk to him.

It’s either a new restaurant or a new movie or something, and I’m always all ears.

Minh

He brings out the inner artist in me, seeing his work and knowledge is inspiring. Seeing what he thought he was going to do to what he ended up doing, really puts into perspective that there isn’t just one thing I have to be stuck doing my whole life.

Also the fact that he has several extracurriculars outside of work shows my life does not only have to consist of work and motivates me.

Hannah

She’s like the sister I’ve never had.

Always teaching me new recipes in our short lunch break talks, loving dessert just as much as I do, saying cute ‘Good Mornings’ in the morning with her cute outfits. She’s a really positive female presence that I love having around.

Nancy

The sunshine of my day. Always such a positive vibe around her. She has such a beautiful voice, I love hearing her sing around in the office playfully.

I really enjoy her saying ‘byeeeee’, it makes leaving the office so hard.

Erika

She has a girl boss aura to her. That’s who I want to be like in a professional and personal setting. I look up to her to find my voice that I always hide away.

She never lets me stay quiet around her, she always sparks up a conversation to get me talking, which I really appreciate because I can be shy and hesitant to say things.

Pratik

A very inspirational person. Hearing his story and how he started really shows me that people with similar backgrounds as him (me) can actually make it to where he is now.

He’s always learning on how to improve himself and the company, which I admire, because he acknowledges that there will always be the need to be better and do better.

Hearing her kind words made us all realize (again) how lucky we are to work with such amazing team members. Welcome to the team Bansari, and we hope to see Alex and Patrick again next year.

Far beyond what we teach them, each year we learn so much from them. We may work together, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, and our interns are no exception. We can’t think of a better way to introduce them to the real working world, than to show them how to work hard, work smart, and work fun.

Want to Intern at TechArk next summer?

Send us your resume and a note about why you identify with TechArk’s culture and work. We’ll be in touch if it’s a good fit!