I’m Kate Campbell, a Junior at the University of Delaware (UD) majoring in marketing and minoring in advertising. This past spring, I began my search for a summer internship to strengthen my resume and expand my marketing knowledge. Discovering BSI was a turning point for me. The application process felt like a perfect match for my career development and personal growth.

When BSI offered me the position as their Marketing Intern for the summer, I was ecstatic! The opportunity to work with a team that valued potential over experience was incredibly reassuring. Despite my limited experience with marketing, the BSI team expressed their commitment to helping me grow, which made my excitement for this role even greater!

Learning New Skills and Tools

Entering this internship, I was familiar with tools like Canva, Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, Microsoft Word, Excel, Zoom, and various social media platforms. However, my time at BSI introduced me to new applications that significantly improved my efficiency. For communication, I quickly adapted to Outlook and Teams, which streamlined my interactions with the team. For project management and organization, Trello and AirTable became my go-tos. Trello, in particular, was a game-changer for staying organized and managing not only my own tasks effectively, but also the tasks of the rest of the marketing team, and I plan to continue using it for both professional and personal projects. 

Exploring Diverse Roles in Marketing

One of the most rewarding aspects of my internship was the exposure to various components of the marketing field. I wasn’t confined to a single task or role. Instead, I had the chance to assist, learn from, and contribute to the work of our Event and Marketing Coordinator, Cat; our Brand Marketing Manager, Becca; and our Director of Communications, Corinne. This experience allowed me to explore different areas of marketing and discover which aspects I’m most passionate about. Throughout the summer, I engaged in a range of tasks and projects, including designing flyers, creating slideshows, drafting research documents for the sales team, reviewing and sending out sales digests, developing case studies, and conducting client surveys. Each project offered unique learning opportunities and helped me strengthen my skills.

Embracing BSI’s Unique Work Culture

From day one, BSI’s work culture stood out to me. CEO, Tony DaRe, welcomed the interns and emphasized the company’s values and culture. He highlighted that at BSI, employees are respected and valued at a human level over anything. This approach made me feel immediately at ease and encouraged me to be authentically myself. This supportive environment helped with my growth in the company and made every day at BSI a rewarding experience.

The BSI team shows a culture of camaraderie and mutual respect. From the moment I joined, I was struck by the friendliness and genuine interest everyone showed. The team’s collaborative efforts and willingness to support one another through successes and challenges have been inspiring. Working in such a positive environment taught me the true meaning of teamwork and its impact on reaching outstanding results.

Feeling Empowered to Take Initiative

One of my initial concerns was my limited marketing experience and unfamiliarity with corporate environments. However, BSI proved to be a place where asking questions and taking initiative were encouraged. I felt valued and heard, and my ideas were welcomed. The team’s openness and encouragement made it clear that my contributions were appreciated. This environment fostered my confidence and allowed me to actively engage in discussions, meetings, and brainstorming sessions.

Continuing with BSI

As my internship was coming to an end, I felt a sense of sadness at the thought of leaving such a fantastic team and company. To my surprise, I was offered a part-time position as a Marketing Associate, allowing me to work remotely while continuing my journey at UD. This opportunity was a dream come true, and I am excited to continue contributing to the team and growing professionally. The few months of my internship was an incredible journey, and I am deeply grateful for the chance to be part of such a lively and supportive organization. I am looking forward to my future with BSI, and cannot wait to see how much more I can learn and grow!

Gratitude and Thanks

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to several individuals and teams who have made this experience truly memorable:

To my Executive Marketing Consultant, Allison:

Thank you for believing in me and being my number one advocate! Your organizational skills, motivation, and leadership are inspirational. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to work with you this summer and am excited to see the amazing things you and BSI will accomplish.

To the Marketing Team:

Talk about GIRL POWER! From my very first day coming into the office you all treated me like I’ve been here for years and I appreciate that from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for working with me, believing in me, and helping me learn more about marketing!

Cat: Your drive and ability to take control and bring ideas to life is inspiring. You have helped me grow so much as a person. Keep being you, I’ll miss being right across the room from you while I continue to work remotely!

Becca: Your creativity never fails to amaze me. The way you can take such simple things and ideas and turn them into beautiful masterpieces is something that I am excited to learn more about. Your visions make the BSI brand what it is, and I am so proud and honored to be learning from the best!

Corinne: Your knowledge and intelligence is something that I look up to so much. The way that you are able to create pieces of content for BSI with ease is exceptional and I know that everybody appreciates the hard work you put in as much as I do. You’re a great teacher and I love learning new things from you!

To Jill (VP, People and Culture):

Thank you so much for bringing me into this company because it has truly changed me for the better. The way you welcomed me in and made me feel comfortable being here in a new environment is something that I will be forever grateful for! My transition into BSI was incredible thanks to you, and I want to thank you for all that you’ve done for me!

To Nick (CGO) and T.J. (VP, Benefits Consulting):

Working on projects with you both over this summer has been an absolute pleasure. The way you communicate and carry yourselves is very inspirational. I want to thank you both for welcoming my ideas and trusting the research I provided. I also want to thank you for acknowledging my contribution and providing valuable feedback, it has helped me grow so much.

To Brad and Zach (Account Management Interns):

On our first day coming into the office, we all started out as strangers and I’m glad that this experience has led us to becoming not only coworkers but also friends. I don’t think any of us knew how much we were going to grow as individuals these last few months at BSI, but I’m glad we were able to do it together. I can’t wait to see what you both have in store for yourselves in the future, it’s been a pleasure working together!

To Val (COO) and Tony (CEO):

I could not ask for better role models and executive leaders. The constant support and encouragement throughout my time at BSI is something that does not go unnoticed and something that I am eternally grateful for! Thank you for always having my back and showing me what it means to love the company that you work for. You are the reason that BSI is what it is today and you should be very proud of all in which you have accomplished! Your emphasis on treating everyone with kindness and respect is something that aligns deeply with my values, which I believe is why I had the experience that I did. The team loves you both so much and I am honored to have been able to be a part of such an amazing organization. 

To the entire BSI Team:

Lastly, I want to thank everybody as a whole that works at BSI. You have all made my experience here thus far so special and rewarding. From those that I see on a daily basis, to those that work remotely across the US, you have all shown me what a beautiful relationship can look like in the workplace. Your constant support, motivation, and liveliness is truly what made my time at BSI so rewarding. Everyone has been so kind and friendly, and I am going to miss seeing you all in the office everyday. It’s my pleasure and honor to have you all as co-workers and friends and to be a part of this team, I can’t imagine having this experience anywhere else, so thank you!