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Bella Palowitz

Internship: PALO Creative

As Communication Studies major Bella Palowitz, ’24, prepares to graduate in May 2024, she is gaining valuable real-world experience as a Creative Marketing Associate at PALO Creative, an advertising agency in Youngstown.

At her internship, she’s involved in a range of tasks: writing creative copy for social media posts, e-newsletters and blogs; editing short-form videos; designing graphics for social media; and using tools like HubSpot to manage social media and schedule emails.

“I’ve always known that I have a love for writing,” she says, “but this experience has ignited more of my passion for creative writing. I’ve gotten to practice crafting witty and concise messages for social media, and it’s a skill I want to continue developing.”

In addition to her major in Communication Studies, Palowitz has been pursuing minors in advertising, media literacy and leadership — and she’s drawn on a little bit of everything as she takes classroom lessons and applies them to internship tasks. Combining advertising classes like Advertising Writing and Storytelling with communication studies classes like Communication and Conflict and Relational Communication, she’s able to successfully execute creative content assignments and practice interpersonal and collaboration skills as she interacts with co-workers.

“The professors in the School of Communication Studies have been instrumental to my professional development,” Palowitz says. “I have developed personal relationships with several of them, and I know that I can turn to them for professional guidance and career opportunities.”

PALO Creative recently launched a rebrand to celebrate its 25^th year in business. The ����Թ� State senior got to play a role in the campaign’s social media execution and watch the new brand identity come together. She says it’s been her favorite internship project.

“I’ve learned that being versatile and eager to learn are attributes employers look for when hiring new employees, especially for smaller companies,” Palowitz says. “When you work for a smaller business, it’s more likely that you’ll have to fill multiple roles and be working closely with others. There’s so much to learn, and employers love to see someone who’s enthusiastic about developing new skills.”