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MPRI internship a test of skills,
guide for future
by Anna Fox
 This past summer I interned at MPRI’s Strategic Communications
Division in Washington, D.C. The basic internship principles
were covered: Put your skills to the test, pick up valuable
advice, learn to take criticism with a smile and try to make
a connection that will turn into a job. The tests were learning
the language of the military, understanding that academic
theory isn’t always the best practical application
and that 9 to 5 doesn’t always mean 9 to 5.
This internship was an endless challenge, as I was thrown
into an organization in which everyone has an accomplished
military background and speaks in abbreviations and acronyms.
Lunch was “chow time.” R and R was no longer
about vacation; instead it became “respond and reassure.” The
list continued. At one point I asked Rick Kiernan, my boss
and Journalism School distinguished alumnus, if there was
a manual for acronyms and he responded, “The
SOP (standard operating procedure) for understanding is to
just stick around.” Creative projects no longer were
about the grade, but about achieving a bottom line worth
millions and millions of dollars; but to the credit of my
co-workers, all projects remained a tool for learning.
 As
most public relations majors would tell you, the highlight
of any situation is the people. My internship was no different.
I worked with a retired colonel from the Army, a retired
Top Sergeant from the Marines and a very gracious and patient
woman who previously worked for Secretaries of State Madeleine
Albright and Colin Powell. There was never a shortage of
stories to be told and lessons to be learned in the office,
from Albright’s shopping trips, to Powell’s unmatched
class, to bunkmates in Vietnam, to growing up on a farm.
My most treasured collection from this internship is not
the manual covers, the presentations or the clips I put together,
but a list of quotations and little lessons to be learned
and carried with me. Randy would say in the most jovial tone,
and the office couldn’t help but laugh, “You
can just sit down, shut up and color.” That was one
of his favorites from his teaching days at the Defense Information
School, which I got to visit.
The tour of the Pentagon and getting to say I worked for
retired Gen. Carl Vuono, a former Army chief of staff, were
high points. But I experienced a low point after I met the
second in command, retired Gen. Ron Griffith. I learned that
he was a Georgia fan and I solemnly promised that his Bulldogs
would not be as lucky as they were last year. Needless to
say, I found myself writing him a letter of congratulations
after the USC-Georgia game.
This internship was a barometer for me. It helped me understand
the media and strategic sides of public relations. It taught
me that perseverance and willingness to learn are important
traits. It also helped me gauge my future plans and understand
that while time is of the essence, you can never replace
being young.
Click on the logo to read other internship features:
Anna Fox is a senior public relations student.
She will graduate in May and is in the process of career hunting.
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