An Octopus, a Laptop, and One Last Trompo Taco
It’s week 9 of my 10-week summer internship at Porter Novelli. My shirts are ironed, my brain’s fired up, and I’m gearing up for one last full week.
If you’d asked me back in June what I expected from this internship, I probably would’ve said something about building PR skills, learning agency workflows, and sitting in on meetings. All of that happened, but so did a lot more. The kind of stuff that doesn’t fit neatly into a resume bullet.
This summer, I became an octopus. Managing media monitoring for a major healthcare account meant juggling a dozen tools and tabs at once. I’d bounce between Google, Muck Rack, Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and ChatGPT. I was taking notes mid-meeting, writing recaps before the meeting ended, working on deliverables during calls, and trying to decode agency lingo like “EOD Thursday” (which, spoiler, does not mean Friday). I also kept up with billing codes, project trackers, and timelines, which are easy to overlook but essential to understand.
I won’t lie, I was nervous going in. With Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the physical challenges are obvious, but the cognitive side gets less attention. Processing new systems, organizing steps, and synthesizing information can take me a little extra time in a fast-moving, acronym-filled environment.
What made all the difference was finding someone whose communication style really matched how I learn. She didn’t just assign work. She walked me through things visually, broke down each step, and gave me room to figure things out without feeling rushed. She helped me not only finish the work but feel confident doing it. That kind of support is rare and it matters.
My managers set the tone from the beginning. They made sure I felt welcomed and supported, from patiently answering all my questions to riding the subway with me that first week. Their calm and kindness reminded me of when I was a kid and my sister refused to watch movies with me because I asked too many questions. Except this time, nobody gave up on me. I never once doubted I belonged here, even when I was still figuring out what PSA stood for.
One win that meant a lot was getting an automatic door opener installed at the office after I spoke up about accessibility. Before that, I had a method for the bathroom door that involved backing up just enough and ramming it open at the right angle. Not exactly OSHA-approved, but it worked.
Outside the office, I found a new ritual that helped me reset. Santo Taco is a tiny spot a block from my apartment. Their tagline says “Mexican heritage meets New York lifestyle,” which sounds like a press release until you try Santi’s Steak Trompo. It’s New York strip and sirloin with avocado salsa, and it’s the only place outside Mexico City I’ve found this kind of taco. It became my way to savor the moment and recharge for whatever tomorrow threw at me.
After nine weeks of juggling tabs, jumping into meetings, keeping up with billing, and learning from an amazing team, I’ve started to find my stride. I’ve learned a lot about what makes agency work tick, and I know there’s still more to learn. This internship gave me the space, tools, and support to grow. I’m leaving with a better understanding of what it means to deliver work that’s clear, thoughtful, and trusted, and how to communicate in a way that really connects. And I know those are skills I’ll keep building.
Thanks to everyone at Porter Novelli, I’m not just ready to keep up at the next healthcare agency. I’m ready to grow even more.
One last week to go. And this octopus still has a few arms left to keep moving.
Let’s finish strong.
