Summer Spotlight: Texas Spirits Interns

Abz Zeitler, Junior

This summer Abz is working on the development team as a stewardship intern for LIVESTRONG. LIVESTRONG is a nonprofit organization that provides support for people affected by cancer. Abz has the task of overseeing and participating in donor contact, donor appreciation events, and thanking donors. “My favorite thing about LIVESTRONG is how we say we ‘serve’ instead of intern,” Abz said. “I feel like I am truly making a difference in people’s lives every single day I am there.” 

Olivia Leitch, Senior

Olivia is an intern at Bread & Butter PR, a public relations agency for local restaurants. Some of the clients she works with include Hopdoddy, Roaring Fork, Salty Sow, Swift’s Attic, and more. Olivia’s tasks include garnering press coverage for the restaurants in local publications and clipping weekly press hits for clients. “Our office is really cute and we indulge in ‘Wine Wednesdays’ at the end of every Wednesday,” Olivia said. “The job lets me just be a complete foodie and I love it.” She also recently got to go all over Austin delivering ice cream to local bloggers for National Ice Cream Day!

Paige Kroll, Junior

Paige is a marketing and communications intern at the YMCA of Austin. The YMCA builds programs to nurture the potential of kids, promote healthy living, and foster a sense of social responsibility. Paige has had the opportunity to write and distribute press releases, create website content, write newsletter articles, manage the YMCA’s social media accounts, and travel to different YMCA branches to photograph and interview Summer Camp kids. She is even part of a team that is working to create camper profiles and stories for a new part of the website. Paige expressed that her favorite part of the internship is the people she works with. “They are so passionate about the Y and all of the programs it offers,” Paige said. “I have learned how the YMCA is so much more than just a gym, and how they are helping meet the needs of the diverse Austin community!”

Quynh Pham, Senior 

This summer Quynh spent a month at The Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in El Paso doing a preceptorship with a group of pre-medical students from all over Texas. Quynh spent her mornings taking classes that resembled the ones a first-year medical student would take, and in the afternoon she had the opportunity to shadow pediatricians at a clinic. Quynh’s favorite experiences were when she saw her first cadaver (and didn’t faint!) and when they had an in-depth lesson over the dissected muscles of the arm. “It was extremely fascinating to be able to see in-person what I had been seeing in textbooks,” Quynh said. “The experience gave me great exposure and insight to what it would be like to be a medical student and physician.”

Jessica Wong, Senior

This summer Jessica is an event coordination and marketing intern at The Allan House, a wedding venue located in downtown Austin. Jessica’s tasks include helping with bookings, shadowing tours, blogging, and (her biggest project) planning The Allan House’s summer open house. “I work with awesome people and it’s been really fun getting to meet brides and help them visualize their big days,” Jessica said.  “It’s crazy how much I love it – I never really thought about getting involved in the event industry, but now I’m definitely rethinking that.” Jessica has also learned a little bit about renovation since The Allan House is about the open a sister venue called The Brodie Homestead. “It’s an old barn that’s been renovated to accommodate events and it’s nothing short of stunning. I visit it frequently, and when I’m there I get to wear my latest accessory of choice – a hard hat.”

Flyer that Jessica designed.