Hi! My name is Taela Ritchie. I am a fourth-year student in Business Communications at Brock University from the city of Barrie, Ontario. I am very enthusiastic about starting my placement as the Event, Marketing, and Communications Assistant at the Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC) at Brock. 

With assistance from my academic advisor, I was introduced to the internship course (Internship in Communication, Popular Culture or Film, COMM 4F00). In wanting to weigh all possible career options within the field of Business Communications, I gave myself the opportunity to explore the idea of Public Relations (PR) and Social Media (SM).  

Upon reviewing the list of internship possibilities, I was immediately drawn to the CSC at Brock University. I believe that the CSC will afford me the opportunity to see in action how sports can be implemented into my profession and help me identify if PR or SM are where my passions align. While interning for the CSC, I wish to learn a variety of strategies, skills, and techniques that are used by SM to gather the target audiences’ attention and stop scrollers in their tracks. Additionally, I want to use this internship as an opportunity to meet new people and develop relationships with others who are interested in the same field of work as myself, to build my professional community.  

Growing up, my siblings and I were very engaged in sports; from playing a variety of different sports to watching them on the TV, my siblings and I were immersed in the sport community. I have, for as long as I can remember, been intrigued by the prospect of pursuing a career in sport, however I wasn’t sure what opportunities were available to me. Since the first days of my Business Communications program, I have had the chance to explore different job opportunities within the sports industry. I have had a high interest in the field of PR agency and SM, giving me the chance to work behind the scenes within the industry. I also thoroughly enjoy the concept of damage control and conflict resolution which are factors within the sport industry. These are important factors to consider in the sport industry because in the face of conflict you need someone well versed in crisis communication so the organizations reputation does not get tarnished, and they can bounce back. Although I feel drawn to the concept of being a sport PR agent, I never had the opportunity to really explore what this would look like. I am interested in pursuing a career in the field of PR and SM as it allows me to be the “middleman” and communicate with the public on behalf of the company, through various SM platforms.  

I see myself being an asset to the CSC team as I bring a positive attitude and am always willing to try something new; learning and growing from educational experiences. Throughout my program so far, I have learned how to communicate (in various forms such as written, oral, non-verbal, digitally, reports, and proposals), ethics and etiquette, active listening, conflict and crisis communication, developing strategies to achieve and measure goals, and inter- and intra-communication within the professional and public environment. This placement opportunity will allow me to build relationships with individuals and companies in the world of sport and sport research. 

In everything that I do, I aim to be a force for good. It is important to remember who you represent and to do so honorably and respectably, whether this be your family, your school, your sports team, or your place of employment. I take pride in the person I am and the work I accomplish and aim to improve the CSC’s output for good through events, marketing, and communications to all members of the public and target audiences.