Internship adds to myriad of confidence-boosting options for student

(Editor's Note: This is the 12th in a series of articles about Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications students completing summer internships.)

Trey Adams made his first visit to Penn State’s University Park campus as a favor to his mom.

He was just being a good son, working through his college options and trying to keep his proud alumna parent happy.

“At first I wasn’t even considering Penn State. I told my mom I wasn’t interested,” Adams said. “But she told me I just couldn’t rule it out without checking it out. So, I came up for a Spend a Fall Day program and got to see the campus and meet the people who were already here. I just felt welcomed — and I felt that community vibe.

“The first thing I told her when I got home was that I was wrong.”

Adams applied to the University and was accepted.

These days he’s a rising junior majoring in telecommunications. He’s earned a Bunton-Waller Scholarship and, through classroom interaction and campus-wide involvement, he’s found his decision to attend Penn State to be the right decision almost daily.

This summer he’s completing a corporate communications internship with Koppers Inc. He creates content for the employee newsletter and a website, with many of those materials used in end-of-quarter reports as well. He also creates interview-style videos featuring executive team members and works with the marketing team on social media projects.

“The internship is so diverse and wide ranging. It’s a mixture of things that have helped me realize that my telecommunications major offers a broad number of options,” he said. “That’s really exciting.”

Adams’ ultimate career goal remains focused on movies and television. He envisions a career in production, eventually as an executive producer. Along with his classroom work, he’s gained practical experience with PSN-TV on campus. He’s also involved with Eclipse, an organization that raises money for the Penn State Dance Marathon, and plans to join a few more clubs this fall.

Academically, Adams appreciates the diverse variety of options offered by the telecommunications major. While he can get hands-on opportunities and pursue a production-related career track, the major also provides a grounding about business and the communications industry overall.

“My experiences with classes and the internship have helped my confidence,” Adams said. “I really feel like I’m building the experience and skills I need. The major gets me production (experience), as well as the business side of it, so I’m getting ready for a diverse industry and can hopefully do a lot of things.”

He’s also already learned the value of networking, especially the Penn State alumni network.

“There are just so many opportunities and resources available,” he said. “Coming here was the best decision I ever could have made.”

And, with a younger brother who will be a senior in high school this fall, there’s no doubt about Adams’ recommendation for his sibling’s future.