Student Internship Advice

By Kaitlyn Kirkpatrick

As internship season kicks into high gear, the University of Tennessee students are busy searching for the perfect opportunity to launch their careers. For one student, that opportunity came from meeting a football star and making a connection. 

Addison Lafayette, a senior majoring in Communication Studies, recently completed a social media internship with Omaha Productions, the media company founded by NFL  Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. Her role involved working on the widely watched show, Manning Cast, a broadcast alternative to ESPN's traditional Monday Night Football. 

But her path to the internship wasn't straightforward.

"I just found it kind of hard, not to find the actual internships, but getting people to respond back," Addison explained. 

Like many students, Addison found the search process frustrating. Despite sending out applications and resumes, responses were few and far between. That all changed when Peyton Manning visited one of her classes to speak about his career and his production company. 

Rather than just listening and taking notes, Addison took action.

 She said, "I'd written him a letter, kind of expressing interest in what they were doing. I told him that if they were ever hiring, here's my number, and I gave him my business card. I didn't really think anything of it."

But just two hours after class, Addison received an email from the HR at Omaha Productions. They wanted to interview her. 

"I couldn't believe it," she said. 

The experience turned out to be more than just a resume booster. According to her friend and classmate Emmerson Kidd-Benthall, Addison's drive and ambition have only grown stronger since the internship.

"I think Addison is the type of person who really goes after what she wants," Emmerson said. "She's so driven, so perseverant. She knows what she wants out of life now, and that's really inspiring to see."

Addison hopes to inspire other students, too, and she has some advice for those navigating the internship hunt.

"I think networking is a huge thing, especially while you're in college," she said. "In my experience, UT alumni especially want to help you. They want to see you succeed. So reach out to them. Use those resources."

For Addison, success didn't come from sending out hundreds of online applications, it came from making a personal connection and taking a leap of faith. 

Her story is a reminder that sometimes, the best opportunities come when you're bold enough to ask for them.