My name is Shane Fennell (Fuh-nell). I am the intern at Gaslight Creative and a senior at Saint John’s University.
Like most college students, my aspirations have changed from time to time. 18-year-old Shane never would have guessed he would be graduating with a Communications degree and a minor in Sociology. He would have laughed in your face.
When I graduated high school, I thought I had my entire life figured out. I was going to be a Nursing major and get a job working in a hospital emergency room. It took one semester for me to figure out, that dream wasn’t a reality.
The science courses weren’t something that I understood. Try as I did, spending hours every night in the library and meetings with my professors, I never really got it. The only thing I remember from my Biology class is that plants grow faster under certain color lights… riveting, right?
After meeting with different professors and talking with my friends, I found the Communications Department and I finally knew what I wanted to do.
I started taking courses in Public Speaking and Communication Theories, eventually taking courses on Social Media and Online Communication. I even took a course on the Rhetoric of Popular Music – probably one of the best classes I’ve ever taken.
Then about a year ago, I was online looking for internships and communication jobs. I came across Gaslight Creative and saw that they were looking for an intern.
As I read the job description, the last line was burned into my brain.
“Must enjoy talking about interior design and/or drinking craft beer and telling stories.”
I don’t know a whole lot about interior design, but I definitely enjoy a good craft beer and I am always up for a great story. As I looked at the internship dates, I realized the timing wouldn’t work out for me. I decided to wait, but kept Gaslight in the back of my head.
A few months ago, I sent an email to Gaslight just to see if there were any new internship opportunities. I got a response and was asked to come in during the agency crawl. After talking with Kelly and Jodie, I was told they would get back to me soon. The rest, as they say, is history.
Since I’ve been with Gaslight, I’ve learned that not all office settings are the same. At Gaslight, we have a lot of free flowing conversation and everyone is willing to help.
My duties as intern include…
– Attending client meetings and learning how to interact in a business setting
– Running small errands
– Filing and archiving projects
– Assisting with Gaslight’s social media presence
– Helping out with what ever it is that I can help out with and absorbing as much information as possible!
I’m enjoying my time at Gaslight Creative. My internship has taught me so much more than reading a textbook. I’ve only just started, but I can’t wait to see what my time here will bring!
Some Fun Facts About Me:
– I’m a local kid. Grew up in Sauk Rapids. I plan on staying around after graduation.
– Family is everything to me.
– Until this year, I had played football for 14 straight falls. All the way from flag football in 2nd grade with Storm Youth Football to Saturday afternoons at St. John’s. This past season, injuries finally caught up with me and I wasn’t able to play, so I helped out with the coaching staff.
– I love the outdoors. Whether it’s going to the family cabin or spending a weekend in Duluth, hiking, or hanging out in canal, I’m all for it.
– I play both the guitar and ukulele. I am by no means very good, but I do play.
– Miscellaneous Job Experience: Grocery store bag boy and hauling kegs for a beer distribution company.
– Other things I’ve learned: The time between 4:45am – 5:15am is terrible. No one should have to experience 4 o’clock twice in a day.
– Graduation Date: May 2015.