Advice from CCAR intern, Jenny Marbella!

Hi everyone! My name is Jenny Marbella and I am a Senior Marketing Major on the Pleasantville Campus. Currently I am involved in the AALANA mentorship program, which is a phenomenal mentoring program that allows you to guide a first-year student during their college transition. This semester I am volunteering with the CCAR to fulfill my service hours for my Leadership and Advocacy Class. In the past, I have also volunteered with the CCAR during my fall semester of sophomore year as their marketing intern.

Jenny volunteering at Rockefeller State Park Preserve

When I first volunteered for the CCAR, I was responsible for most marketing outreach platforms such as sending out the weekly newsletter, creating posters for events, posting events on social media, and tabling in Kessel during common hour.  On average I clocked in 20 hours a week, working in the office and attending events. Because of my active presence in the office, I also worked closely with other student assistants to run events and coordinate programs.  Unfortunately, because of my senior year schedule, I am unable to be as present in the office this year as I would prefer. However, despite this obstacle Erin has worked closely with me to create service projects around my limited schedule. My tasks range from attending CCAR sponsored events and posting on social media to remote projects such as creating a marketing intern manual.

When selecting my service partner for my class, I knew I wanted to work with the CCAR but wasn’t sure how that would work with my limited schedule. Working for the office in the past, I wasn’t sure if working remote or having limited service hours would be a possibility. I set up time with Erin to go over my class requirements and past marketing experience, and she shared with me her marketing priorities and objectives for this semester. We then were able to plan out my hours based on the CCAR’s upcoming events as well as remote marketing projects that would help the office. If you are someone who loves volunteering, but has limited time, I would say to reach out to your service partner and communicate your limitations and goals. The worse thing they can say is it’s not a right fit for the moment, but the best that can happen is that you have a new service partner!

Social media plays an important role in communicating to the Pace Community what events the office is doing as well as what projects they can get involved in. It also allows students to see what events are happening in real time and could potentially increase volunteers and attendees immediately. Social media is also a form of civic engagement due to its advocacy element. Due to the number of people social media allows you to communicate with, it is an impactful tool for persuading people to act. Students who are not on campus frequently can stay up to speed on what’s happening around the Pace community through social media.

Interested in serving as a marketing/social media intern for the CCAR?  Contact Program Coordinator Erin at emysogland@pace.edu!