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Marketing internship enables dual major to explore multiple career paths

By Jaime North, digital marketing specialist

Landing that preferred internship with opportunities aligned to a clear career path tied to your college major isn’t as easy as one would think. Add in a second major, and the task is twice as challenging.

That wasn’t the case for Emily Clauss, an art studio and media and journalism dual major, who spent this past summer as a marketing intern with Fidelity Bank in Scranton.

“I was drawn to this opportunity, because not only did it set me up to practice professional skills but allowed me to explore multiple potential career paths,” said Clauss, who is also a midfielder on the Huskies women’s soccer team, as well as editor in chief of The Voice student newspaper. “While it was a media and journalism internship, I was able to able to apply and build on skill sets I have from my second major.”

According to Clauss, among her key responsibilities included maintaining the local bank’s Instagram account, assisting with campaign planning and artwork creation, as well as creating company materials. A big benefit coming out of the summer experience for Clauss were the multiple opportunities the internship provided her.

“I got to experience other aspects of a marketing department that only happen so often like commercial productions, as well as branding campaign meetings with the bank’s vendors,” Clauss said. “These bonus experiences — where I was able to travel outside the bank — gave me a complete idea of a corporate marketing department, as well as clarified multiple professional paths.”

And she was well prepared heading into this dynamic internship experience.

“Bloomsburg University’s media and journalism department provided me with a variety of courses that covered all the necessary tools and areas any professional path could ask for,” Clauss said. “I applied more than a handful of materials from classes to the work I completed for the bank. I utilized my .html knowledge from my multimedia class, as well as wrote press releases from what I learned in my personal relations class and so on.”

A key takeaway — among many valuable marketing and design lessons — was one a lasting impression she’ll be able to apply now in the classroom as a senior.

“The biggest lesson I learned was that sometimes you can’t see the flaws in your own work,” Clauss said. “Almost always a second pair of eyes picks up on something the creator may have missed. I’ll definitely apply this lesson into my school work, as well as when I began my professional work.”

Working to defy the odds

Jackie Lithgow graduates from Bloomsburg University

By Eric Foster, editor and creative specialist

BLOOMSBURG — Seven years after a head injury left him in a coma, Jackie Lithgow defied expectations and graduated on Sunday, May 16, from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania with a degree in media and journalism.

Lithgow’s life changed forever on Feb. 23, 2014, when the 19-year-old, trying to break up a fight, was blindsided by a punch and his head struck the pavement. He was life-flighted to Geisinger Hospital in Danville and was in a coma for 15 days and was given the worst possible ranking on the Glasgow Coma scale. Over 90% of patients with this type of injury never regain consciousness and if they do, are significantly impaired.

But with perseverance and support from his parents, BU alumni Jim and Lisa, family and community, Lithgow defied the odds. In the spring of 2016, two years after his injury, he returned to Bloomsburg University to begin taking classes again.

The road back to class was a hard one, involving nine surgeries and intensive rehabilitation.

A turning point for Lithgow, of Carlisle, was aqua-therapy in which he relearned to walk, one step at a time, with a treadmill in a swimming pool.

“At first, they moved my legs for me. I was walking for the first time since my injury. This was a goal, I achieved the goal, what’s my next goal. You can achieve whatever you set your mind to,” said Lithgow.

“With brain injuries, you’re always in rehab and always learning and always healing. My one doctor told me that when you go to the real world and go to college and walk on campus, that will be your therapy. I’m going to classes and walking, learning.”

“When I first started BU, I was an ITM major and switched to digital forensics,” said Lithgow. “But when I came back from my injury, I didn’t understand anything going on. So I talked with Theresa Bloskey in Trio Student Support Services, and I took an intro mass communications class with professor (Jason) Genovese and was hooked.”

Each semester, Lithgow tried to add a course to his schedule until he was taking four classes. His mom stayed local with friends becoming a source of help and guidance. Support from BU extended well beyond the first semester and involved many offices.

“Jackie is the epitome of the grit and determination for which we Huskies are known,” said BU President Bashar Hanna. “We are inspired by all that he has overcome, and are beyond proud of all that he has accomplished.”

“It starts with Dr. Hanna, I had lunch with him every so often,” said Lithgow. “Dr. Genovese has been a role model. All the professors have been wonderful. Obviously, the graduation will be different with distancing, but I’m really looking forward to it.

“In my 15 years here at BU I have never seen a more inspirational story than Jackie’s,” said Jason Genevese, chair of the department of media and journalism. “To see how far he has come these past few years is truly remarkable. He attacked his school work with impressive vigor and energy. Despite what he’s been through, Jackie always wears a big smile on his face and has the most charming personality. Whether we chat about school, family or Philadelphia sports, I’m just lucky to have crossed paths with this young man.”

Lithgow has been involved in more than his classes. He also created the Jackie Lithgow Foundation to support traumatic brain injury survivors during their road to recovery. The foundation has raised over $65,000 for Magee Rehabilitation Hospital and local TBI patients.

“Media and journalism is where I want to be,” he said. “It’s helped me think about, especially with the foundation. How to reach out and connect with people.”

What’s next for Lithgow?