For National Intern Day, we asked two of our creative interns to write a bit about their experience during their summer internship at Cactus. We have enjoyed their positive energy and fresh perspectives and will definitely be missing them when they are gone! Read about their experience below.
Hi, I’m Kayla. I found Cactus through the VCU Brandcenter in Richmond, VA. I had just finished my first year of copywriting and was excited to find an in-person internship across the country in a city where I knew no one. I wanted to explore somewhere new and challenge myself to get outside my comfort zone.
I start my day taking an hour light rail ride from Parker to Union Station. I use the time to catch up on work or listen to podcasts. It’s a five minute walk from there to Cactus. I grab my coffee and head upstairs to my desk.
Hello, I’m Gustavo. I found Cactus through the Multicultural Advertising Internship Program, which matches students of color to agencies across the nation. I was familiar with the organization, being a part of the year prior, and knew it was a mission-driven force that helped launch the careers of many. This time around, I had the honor of being selected by Cactus here in Denver - a city I had never visited but was eager to immerse myself in.
I start my trek to work with a swift twenty-minute light rail from my apartment to Union Station. I‘m big into staring out windows and at strangers so it’s all meditative, really. I’ve also run out of podcasts to listen to and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
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Once we are back to back at our desks, we plan out our day. We like to book a room in the basement to work collaboratively so we can talk and more importantly sing Olivia Rodrigo without annoying our coworkers.
On any given day, we have between one and five scheduled meetings. The rest of the time we work independently, together. We are working on a project throughout the summer for the Fifty Award Show for Ad Club Colorado. It has been fun to see a campaign go from start to finish. We got to present to clients, contribute to real work, sit in on briefs, creative review meetings, and edits.
When 12 PM strikes, we both turn into noodle fiends. We grab our packed lunches and eat outside under the warmth of the Denver sun. Then it's back to work!
Through this internship, we have been exposed to a huge variety of projects and clients. We’ve gotten to talk to everyone in the agency about their roles and about life in Colorado. And we’ve learned the magic that makes Cactus’ process and work special. We’ve also been able to experience the Cacti lifestyle. We’ve been hiking and camping and explored breweries and thrift shops.
At the end of our workday, we walk together to the light rail and part ways at the train station.
As we finish up our time at Cactus, we are most grateful for the way the agency has made us feel welcomed and important. We were lucky enough to become great friends through this process and will always be thankful to Cactus for introducing us to the world of advertising.
What's Next?
As far as next steps, Kayla will be headed back to Richmond to complete her masters in branding at the Brandcenter and be reunited with her cat. And Gustavo will be bouncing around Portland, New York and Austin - any of which are cities he would love to work in - on the hunt for his next adventure.
