Sudu Upadhyay
As the year comes to an end, so does my internship with the Ole Miss Office of Communications. I must say I wish I had more time.
It seems like just yesterday I walked through the glass doors of Sam/Gerard Hall and nervously said “hi” to the receptionist. I had been in the building a few times before, but that day I remember walking up the spiral wooden stairs, as they shook with every step I took, thinking I’m pretty lucky to be here. I got there pretty early that day, about 15 minutes before the office opened. No one was really in his or her office yet, so I walked around until I saw Ole Miss Director of Public Relations Danny Blanton in his office. Danny kindly smiled at me and with his southern drawl said, “Come on in, Sudu.”
I was fresh from a winter intersession trip to Togo, so Danny asked me questions about the West African country and even shared stories about the places he travelled to while serving in the military. Since that day, I’ve met and worked alongside many of the people who make our university amazing. Most college freshmen can’t say that.
During this internship, I’ve added to my videography skills set, become a better video editor and seen the inner workings of the university. How many people can say they know the guy who decides if the university closes due to inclement weather? No, I won’t say his name, but take comfort in the fact that I gave him a hard time when school remained opened despite the icy conditions outside.
All jokes aside, meeting these people and learning from them was so valuable for me. Some of these people include: Ryan Whittington, Win Graham, Mary Knight, Danny Blanton, Lindsey Abernathy, Michael Newsom, Will Hamilton, and many others. These UM Communications employees were always eager to listen and to help, which I can say from previous internships is hard to find in a real-world job environment.
As I come to the end of my internship with Ole Miss Communications, I say thank you to all of those who gave me this opportunity and just know that you are a big part of my future success.
Sudu Upadhyay is a freshman journalism major from Oxford.