Melanie interned with Cox Communications as a Land Use Agent and gained experience in stakeholder engagement, purpose-driven project coordination, and strategic problem solving.
How did you get your internship?
My internship was a full-time role I had secured about a month before the internship course began. Since the internship requires that you expand your current skillset if you find an opportunity at your current place of work, the timing was perfect. At that time, I was just starting to take on larger and more complex projects. These projects required much more in-depth research and were significantly bigger than the ones I had started with in the beginning. The timing worked out well, as it allowed me to apply what I was learning in real time while continuing to grow in my role.
Why did you choose this internship?
I would say it was more so that the internship chose me. I’ve worked in construction for years. I have worked as a project manager for pools, a project coordinator for home renovation, and I eventually found myself in a permit coordinator role. That’s where I discovered my love for business processes and the excitement of learning something new every day. I enjoyed the challenge of navigating regulations and coordinating moving parts, even when things got complicated. I was lucky enough to be contacted about the Land Use Agent role with Cox, and it felt like a natural next step. It has definitely paid off, not just in terms of career growth, but in helping me realize how much I value work that blends structure, learning, and meaningful collaboration.
What skills did you develop in this internship?
There are so many transferable skills that I have learned in this role. Cross-team collaboration, communication, project management, negotiation and conflict resolution, adaptability, attention to details, strategic thinking and that is just to name a few. This role taught me the value of patience and the importance of building strong relationships. It also taught me that change is not always a bad thing.
How was the internship related to your Applied Humanities degree?
My internship connected to my Applied Humanities degree in more ways than I expected. I used communication and relationship-building skills every day, especially when working with cities and internal teams. I also had to think strategically and stay organized, which tied to the business side of my degree. A lot of the work involved understanding different perspectives and finding common ground, which felt very human-centered. It reminded me that even in a technical role, people and processes go hand in hand. This experience helped me see how my degree shows up in real-world situations.
How did your Applied Humanities major coursework help prepare you or give you unique insight for the internship experience?
Some of the ideas from my Applied Humanities classes really clicked once I started the internship. Learning how to communicate across different perspectives helped me work with cities, teams, and departments that all had different priorities. I also leaned on the business side of my degree when managing timelines and understanding how each piece of a project fits into the bigger picture. My coursework helped me stay flexible, think critically, and approach challenges with curiosity instead of frustration. It gave me a mindset that made the work feel more meaningful.
What was your favorite or most satisfying part of your internship?
I would say the most satisfying part of my internship was during a quarterly meeting with everyone in our department. In that meeting, each boss had the opportunity to recognize someone on their team. Although my direct boss didn’t recognize me, my boss’s boss did and it was for carrying such a heavy workload in the short time I had been there. At that point, I had completed and helped get service to over 800 projects. It was really cool to be recognized for all the hard work I had put into my role. That moment made me feel seen and reminded me that what I was doing mattered.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for and begin their internship?
When you’re looking, don’t give up. As the internship course date got closer, my nerves kept getting worse, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to secure something in time. But I didn’t give up. I reached out to the Internship Director, Stephanie Springer, and together we collaborated and came up with a solution that worked. Once you start, be open to change, stay flexible, and really immerse yourself in the experience. You never know what an internship might lead to, it could even turn into a full-time role.