Completing an internship (5 points)

                    Over the summer, I successfully completed an internship with Amazon Prime Video, where I worked on projects related to campaign strategy and marketing analysis for Gen Z audiences. My team focused on understanding audience insights and helping shape promotional strategies for upcoming releases. The internship gave me a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world’s largest streaming platforms operates from creative ideation to the final distribution.

The internship’s biggest strength for me was its structure and mentorship. I appreciated the balance between independent project work and collaborative team assignments, which allowed me to learn from professionals across departments. My managers, especially Black women were able to pour into me and truly show me the ins and outs of the industry from their perspective. The feedback I received during weekly check-ins helped me refine my communication and presentation skills. One area for improvement would be providing interns with the opportunity to collaborate more often. Oftentimes I had individual work on my own but I would have appreciated more collaborative work with other interns specifically. I also would have loved to work on more Black projects, but that is up to the company and not my team directly.
      This experience connected to knowledge from several of my economics courses as I worked through data analysis and presentations in similar ways to how research is done in my department. This internship reinforced a broader trend I’ve been observing across my professional and academic journey which is that there is a growing importance of cultural relevance and authenticity in media marketing. My internship at Amazon Prime Video transformed my understanding of the media landscape teaching me how to balance creative innovation with analytical thinking to communicate ideas confidently in a corporate setting. I also learned that I thrive in fast-paced, idea-driven environments where collaboration and curiosity are valued. Moving forward, I plan to continue developing technical skills in data analytics and project management while pursuing future opportunities in content marketing or entertainment strategy. This internship not only strengthened my professional abilities but also confirmed my passion for using storytelling to connect diverse audiences through meaningful and culturally relevant content.

By Danielle Bagarli