News and Insights
Fisk-FINN Intern Spotlight: Taylor Wilson
August 18, 2023
I’ve always dreamt big but four years ago, I would have never guessed I would be excelling professionally at a global marketing communications firm with a one-in-a-million team at just 22 years old. Since my alma mater, Fisk University, a HBCU (Historically Black College or University) institution, is a smaller liberal arts university, it doesn’t have communication or marketing offered as a concentration. Rather than majoring in something more general such as business administration, I decided to major in what I was passionate about (social justice, politics, law) while pursuing internship experience in my target field.
My journey at FINN began in January 2022 when I was hired as a spring intern. I attribute much of my professional growth throughout my undergraduate studies to my privileged experience as an intern at FINN. I recently graduated with a B.A. in Political Science, Summa Cum Laude, a Phi Beta Kappa Honors Member and a Pi Sigma Alpha Honors Member from Fisk University. I currently serve as an Account Coordinator in the Community Impact practice group in the Nashville office.
As an HBCU student from Chicago with no social network in Nashville, I had no idea how I would access resources and opportunities that would place me in the PR industry. That all changed when I received an internship opportunity via email from the Fisk Career Service Center. I vividly recall working two part-time jobs at the time but finding time to apply for the opportunity because it was exactly what I was longing for.
I was fortunate enough to be offered a virtual interview where I remember being asked, “What do you think you can bring to FINN?” I discussed how rare opportunities like this are for students of color and how we are seldom introduced to career opportunities in PR and creative industries. Thus, I felt I possessed a unique perspective as a Black and Asian woman that isn’t very common in the communications realm.
After being hired as a spring semester intern in January 2022, my internship was extended three more times until April 2023 and led me to a full-time position in May 2023. Throughout the duration of my internship, I quickly became involved in company organizations outside of my work in account services. I worked thoroughly with the FINN Southeast Culture Club and the Anti-Racism Action Committee (ARAC) which made me realize that FINN possessed a distinct company culture that prided itself on inclusivity that many people of color long for in the workplace. That feeling was re-affirmed when I joined the FINN Global DEI Committee as a member of the Recruitment and Higher Ed pillar.
The initiation of the Fisk-FINN partnership is essential to not only building upon FINN’s values of diversity and inclusion, but also to share that rare opportunity with students of color who don’t realize those careers exist. As mentioned, out of a copious amount of HBCU students across the nation, I consider myself a part of a privileged few who’ve been offered access to opportunities in public relations. I’m proud to be a part of an initiative that provided me a significant opportunity to grow professionally, and I look forward to more HBCU students sharing this same experience to bridge the gap between diverse communities and careers in communications and PR.
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