Summer intern Malachi reflects on his experience

Fewer experiences in my life have been as well-rounded and supportive as my time with Untrendy Marketing. I started my internship in June, confident yet nervous and eager to grow, and I truly appreciate the opportunities I had to develop new skills and insights. I am now writing this on my last day, and I can say that my expectations have been met and exceeded.

Before this internship, I had never even driven past Lantana; I still remember my first day, walking along Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach, taking it all in. Working at the entrepreneurial community, 1909, and being surrounded by adults in a professional setting, was daunting at first. Alexa embraced me and showed me around, and from then on, I felt confident and looked forward to each day. Alexa made sure to have a one-on-one with me every week, and that made working with her a joy; I developed as an intern, but I also grew as a person through these conversations. I also got to attend entrepreneurship workshops at 1909; I learned how to reach an audience and how to present myself in front of groups.

I learned several new technologies during my internship, one of my favorites being Descript. This video editing tool was integral to two of my most important projects, and I picked it up quickly. I found the interface intuitive, and outside of work, I used Descript to edit and finalize a speech for a college class I’m enrolled in.

I was also able to use Metricool, a social media management platform that let us schedule social content to several platforms. I also furthered my Canva design skills, earning two certificates during my internship: Canva Essentials and Graphic Design Essentials. In addition, I gained more familiarity with Claude, earning Claude 101 and AI Fluency certifications from Anthropic. These certifications gave me a real sense of achievement, making me feel more autonomous in my work.

My most important projects as an intern were two short-form video series for the EJS Project. The first was a series of speeches given by the Young Legislators Program students. These speeches were a prerequisite to joining the program, and each student defined an amendment of the U.S. Constitution and illustrated why it felt significant to them. This project was challenging, but I had genuine fun downloading, editing, and proofreading all those videos—20 in all—using Descript. I was able to relive the speeches I had witnessed in person and help them reach more eyes; I was filled with pride, especially when it came time to put my own speech through the motions.

The next project was a series of interview clips featuring Emanuel "Dupree" Jackson, the founder of the EJS Project. I took a 17-minute audio-only interview and turned it into four separate video clips, each about a minute long. Alexa helped me figure out which quotes to turn into videos and how to lay out the video elements. This project was spontaneous, and I was honored to be trusted with it.

Overall, my time with Untrendy Marketing has impacted me immensely. I came in as a nervous outsider, and I'm leaving with real skills and real confidence — and a model of mentorship I hope to carry forward. I am grateful for this opportunity and all that will come of it.