Week 1: Introduction

Hello! My name is Christina Berry, and I am a rising senior at Wake Forest University. I am from Southern California but moved to Texas four years ago. My major is English and my minor is Art History. This summer I will be a Communications & Marketing intern for the National Waste and Recycling Association in Washington, D.C.

My first internship was in the waste and recycling industry. Waste Connections wanted to start a big Google My Business project and needed an intern to manage it. Once I started working on Google projects for Sales & Marketing, I expanded my role into social media and HR hired me to make Facebook Ads and create the company Twitter. I still intern for the company virtually, as I am in charge of the social media.

The experience at Waste Connections opened my eyes to the waste and recycling industry. The industry is ongoing, as people will always produce trash and recycling is ever-expanding. I learned the company approach to the industry, but felt I wanted to broaden my understanding of the industry as a whole. So at my NWRA internship I am hoping to gain knowledge of the industry from a trade association’s perspective, learn more about the inner-workings of multiple companies from an unbiased third-party, and pinpoint my specialty for future jobs. Plus, one goal of mine is to increase my network, and working at the NWRA in the city will introduce me to a wide range of people who could be helpful in finding me a job after my early graduation.

I also want to explore Washington, D.C., as I am considering it as a possible location to move to and begin a career.