Welcome to our new spring intern, Loyola senior Mike Costanzo

It’s been a while since we’ve posted on our blog here — it’s been a busy few months for us, as we’ve taken on a wide range of client projects. Given that we’ve got more work on our hands, we are glad to have some more hands to help out; last week, we welcomed a new intern for the spring, Loyola senior Mike Costanzo.

Mike is helping us out three days a week while he finishes up his coursework at Loyola, assisting on both 3Points and client efforts. Get to know Mike a bit better via the Q&A below!

What do you enjoy most about PR and communications?

To me, the most engaging facet of working in the communications industry is that your work is directly affected by world news and events. Because of this, coming to work every day becomes more than a job. The communications field motivates me to remain focused and connected to the news, worldwide events, and my community. Each new day brings about its own set of challenges and opportunities, and that is what gets me out of bed every morning. Being able to adapt to and understand new industries offers a chance to showcase your strengths while creatively promoting inspiring brands.

What are you looking forward to most about your 3Points internship?

In the coming months, I am looking forward to having the opportunity to cultivate and develop my writing skills while finding what practices are working best in today’s world of PR. With such highly skilled and devoted co-workers, I cannot wait to watch and learn to see how professionals go about developing and implementing strategies for a wide range of clients across the FinTech and Chicago Tech scene.

What is your favorite class you’ve taken at Loyola?

Throughout my years at Loyola, I have taken a course load that has integrated the realms of Advertising and Public Relations into one degree. With that being said, for the second semester of my senior year, I enrolled in a Branding and Positioning class that has illuminated exactly how brands tactically prepare and meticulously strategize communications plans for their clients. It is the clarity of a well developed brand strategy that inspires action and drives the brand forward. Now with such a promising opportunity at 3Points, I can’t wait to put my years of theory into practice and see what comes of it.

You’ve been part of a cool organization while at Loyola — tell us about your involvement with the Food Recovery Network.

The Food Recovery Network’s Loyola chapter was founded back in 2016 at the beginning of my sophomore year. I, along with three other students, who are now close friends and roommates, identified an issue on campus and in our surrounding community that we felt demanded our attention: food waste. After some preliminary research, we found that Chicago alone wastes about 55 million pounds of food per month. That equates to roughly 68 million meals. Then, at the same time, food insecurity was and is such a drastic problem in the city. It was in the combination of these insights that we identified our mission. We knew that through Loyola, we had the opportunity and resources to make an impact right here in Chicago.

It has been just under three years since the introduction of FRN on campus, and we have seen unbelievable success each year since. Having served as both Chief Communications Officer and Administrative Coordinator, I have been lucky enough to witness the progress and growth that has driven FRN to the top tier of student organizations. Last semester alone, we decreased food waste across campus by 75%, serving thousands of families across northern Chicago. Now, with access to the dining halls each weekend, we expect that number to increase as we progress into the summer months.

You’re no stranger to the food industry, given your experience working in your family’s bakery. How has that experience shaped you?

I grew up in Buffalo, NY, working at my family’s bakery, where I spent my summers mixing dough, packaging bread, making deliveries, and standing in front of a very large, very hot oven. It was never the most glamorous job, but it has always been a point of pride for the family. We spent our summers donating and working with the Food Bank of Western New York to help combat food insecurity in our home town, so the cause has always been the prime motivation to do my part. Between my experiences in food service and serving those in need, I came to learn a lot about the food production process and the negative implications of wasting perfectly good food, even on a commercial level.

In a weird way, I learned more than I ever thought from standing in front of that oven, and showing up at 4:00 am to relieve the third-shift guys an hour early. Things like work ethic, commitment, and integrity are the pillars that bolster success in any industry. After coming to Chicago in 2015, I understood that the continuation of such characteristics would be paramount when pursuing my goals.