Durant Harvin
My name is Durant Harvin and I am a summer intern in the corporate communications department at Sodexo’s North American headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD. My time at Sodexo has been a great experience that will benefit me as I enter the real world — especially since I finish up my undergraduate studies at Penn State University next spring.
I am honored to be part of the Sodexo Future Leaders Internship Program. It’s great that I am being paid to gain experience that I would actually be more than willing to gain for free. What more could I ask for? Not only do I get to gain on the job experience but I also get to save money for my senior year at Penn State. Accepting this internship was “no brainer” if you will.
During my internship, I have been involved in areas such as social media, internal communications, brand management and marketing. I have also been charged with the task of creating an ad campaign for the internship program nationally. I have also done plenty of hands on work such as video editing, market research, technical writing, posting signage and conducting on-camera interviews.
I am gaining so much knowledge as to how a large company’s communications setting works. There is no doubt in my mind that the tools and skills I am acquiring here at Sodexo will do nothing but benefit me in my future professional endeavors. I have had the opportunity to meet and work with several great and accomplished Sodexo employees which have ranged from chefs to executive personnel at headquarters.
Durant leading the biweekly corporate communications team meeting, also known as a "huddle."
During my internship I was privileged enough to be asked to work at the Sodexo Foundation Dinner in Washington, DC. This was an experience that I will never forget because of the many people I came into contact with and the large roll I was entrusted with throughout the evening. I was charged with interviewing the award recipients before the awards dinner. My interviews started off a little shaky but once the nerves were gone they turned out well.
This internship has provided a way to apply all that I learn in the classroom to an actual real-world setting. I truly feel I am a part of the communications team and that my work actually has worth.
I would like to give a special thanks to my hosting manager Laurie Kelly. Laurie has been a great manager who pushed me to think more creatively. There is never a time when I felt that I was just here to perform busy work, Laurie treats me as if I were a full-time employee. I am grateful to have a manager who is available and reliable (despite her already hectic schedule!)
Durant Harvin is an intern in the Corporate Communications department of Sodexo.
