Camille Hanner ’20 started as a digital content specialist with DynamiX Web Design last summer and has already moved up to project manager. Though her road to this position took some unexpected turns, she credits much of her success to work experiences on and off campus.
As a communication major with a public relations concentration, Hanner held public relations internships at the Ruth and Naomi Project in Rome, BRAVE Public Relations in Atlanta and Rome’s Redmond Regional Medical Center. She worked for the sports medicine department on campus and as an illustrator and section editor for Valkyrie, Berry’s art and lifestyle magazine.
“Quality is in the details,” she says. “I think Berry really taught me that because we’re always juggling so much. Being busy all the time and learning how to prioritize things was something Berry really taught me and something that went straight into my internships.”
Hanner began her job search with the goal of working at a major communications firm. After earning interviews with several companies, she found herself stopped short by a hiring freeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, Jeff Jahn ’07, CEO of DynamiX and a Berry alum, reached out to Hanner about the digital content specialist position.
“This job was the complete balance of everything I love to do — the organization and analytical side of me, as well as the creative,” she says. “After I started working for DynamiX, they started growing me into the project manager right off the bat. I think that speaks to my internships; they knew I would be able to grow quickly.”
Associate Professor of Communication Sam Nazione and Assistant Professor of Communication Kimberly Field-Springer mentored Hanner, noting that she is curious, eager to learn and great at networking. “It was astounding; her growth was exponential,” Nazione says. “Camille is just not afraid of failure and not afraid of new things.”
Looking back on her internships, Hanner has some advice for other students looking for similar opportunities. “Confidence is everything for internships,” she says. “If you let the person know that you believe in yourself and believe in what you’re capable of, then they’ll believe in you, too.”
