Meet the 2019 3Points Summer Interns: Nick O’Brien and Kayla Feldstein
As regular followers of our blog will know, interns are a big part of our success at 3Points, and in the past year and a half we have expanded our intern program to span across the full year. However, there’s still something about summer that makes it the season we most associate with interns.
We’re once again fortunate enough to have multiple talented college students joining us for full-time internships this summer. Nick O’Brien is an Evanston native and rising senior at Vanderbilt who has been helping us out for a few weeks now, and Kayla Feldstein — Glenview native and University of Illinois rising senior — joined us last week. Get to know Nick and Kayla via the Q&A below!
Why are you interested in PR and communications?
Nick: I decided to intern in PR for a few reasons. At a high level, communication is a foundational skill and being an effective communicator will always be a valuable trait. The work itself offers a variety of challenging projects in a fast-paced environment with exposure to the tech industry — all things I had hoped to find in an internship.
Kayla: As a graphic design major, I’ve developed a passion for identifying and establishing ideas throughout the creative process. I’m very interested in the PR and communications industry, as I enjoy building relationships with my fellow employees in order to gain more knowledge and skills for maintaining relations between 3Points and our community and clients.
What are you most looking forward to learning at 3Points?
Nick: I’m most looking forward to getting a crash course in navigating networks of people and building relationships. I think that PR work, especially earned media, tends to be opaque to people outside the industry, so I’m excited to learn how to strategically connect and exchange value with professionals from a variety of backgrounds.
Kayla: In the coming months interning for 3Points, I look forward to the positive opportunities ahead, including the challenges and experiences that will further assist me in gaining PR and communication skills. I’m very excited to learn more about public relations through direct communication with the clients that we as a company are assisting. With such an incredible team by my side, I’m looking forward to the exciting months ahead!
What is your favorite class you’ve taken so far in school?
Nick: That’s tough… I have to go with Ancient Philosophy, taught by Prof. Scott Aikin. It’s fascinating how much of our value system and ideology can be traced back to thinkers from millennia ago. I’m a big fan of the work of Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, Stoic philosophers who provide timeless insights on the ‘good’ life. Stoics argue, for one, that we’re all subject to an unpredictable course of events and the only source of control comes from being intentional about our responses to these events. Stoicism isn’t a bulletproof ideology, but I think there’s a lot of value in cultivating an internal locus of control that isn’t disrupted by external outcomes. My favorite works by Seneca and Marcus Aurelius are On the Shortness of Life and Meditations, respectively.
Kayla: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has provided me with such a wonderful curriculum as I enter my senior year in the Fall. As I mainly focused on Graphic Design, I was able to enroll in classes that integrated marketing, advertising, PR, and communication into my design curriculum. My favorite class that I’ve taken at UIUC was Brand Design, as it was the most enlightening and insightful course I have ever taken. I mainly focused on brand identity, while learning the essentials on how my brand was going to be perceived by my target audience. This course included not only design, but communication and PR, as I learned how to efficiently publicize and advertise my brand.
What’s something interesting about your school that most people might not know?
Nick: Al Gore once dropped out of Vanderbilt, then returned, and then dropped out again. He still guest lectures every once in a while. Vanderbilt is also the only campus in the country that’s classified as an arboretum (forest preserve).
Kayla: There are several interesting facts about UIUC, but since I’m from Chicago, I have to brag about one special fact. Last fall, UIUC hired Lovie Smith, who coached the Chicago Bears from 2004 until 2012, as the new football coach. I’ve always been a Chicago Bears fan, so I was very ecstatic about the new addition to UIUC. Lovie was welcomed with open arms — he is treated like a celebrity on campus.
You’re both from the Chicago area — what is your favorite thing about Chicago summers?
Nick: I’ve always loved how Chicago transforms in the summer. My favorite activities this time of year include golf, backyard grilling, and festivals.
Kayla: I absolutely love Broadway shows. I’ve lived in a suburb of Chicago for 21 years now, so I happen to be in Chicago very frequently. I’ve seen Wicked, Matilda, Hamilton, and a few others, but my favorite by far is Wicked. I’ve gone four times already, and it gets better and better, so for all of you reading, go check out Wicked on Broadway!
