2022 Spring Intern Blog

Article and photos by Nya McClain.


After my internship, I plan to continue seeking marketing experiences as I finish my time at Vanderbilt. My goal is to experience marketing in different industries to identify the best fit for me. After school, I hope to become a marketing professional in my chosen industry.


My favorite part of
Cheekwood
is all the wildlife that brings the gardens to life and calls them home. Every time I’m on campus, I make sure to give the turtles in the Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden a visit. I also love to explore the art exhibits in the mansion. The displays are
expansive
and change throughout the year, so there is always something new to see.

 

My favorite garden at
Cheekwood
is the Blevins Japanese Garden. There’s something particularly magical about it. Emerging out of the bamboo walkway and into the heart of the garden is like stepping into a new world. Every aspect of the garden is designed to elicit tranquility, so it’s my favorite place to relax.

 

One of the things I love about working at
Cheekwood
is that I always get to do something different. Most days, I explore the grounds looking for video inspiration for TikTok and Instagram. I also create videos to promote
Cheekwood’s
signature events, like Orchids in the Mansion and

Cheekwood


in Bloom. When I’m not making videos, I do things like graphic design, creating forms, posting event listings, and more. There has never been a dull day at
Cheekwood
.

 

When looking for internships, I always ensure that the position will provide ample learning opportunities while allowing me to contribute my skills.
Cheekwood
was my first experience working at a non-profit organization and my
first time
marketing gardens and a museum. The nature of
Cheekwood
alone told me that I could expect several novel experiences. Additionally, I felt I was an excellent fit for the position. I have a few years of marketing experience, extensive writing skills, and experience with professional photography and videography.

 

My time at
Cheekwood
has been so surreal. Each week, I learned new things and developed my skills in one of the most beautiful places in Tennessee. Despite my short time with them, the entire team made sure that I felt like a genuine member. Everything I did was valuable, and I learned so much along the way.

 

Hello! My name is Nya McClain, and I was
Cheekwood’s
Digital Marketing Intern this spring. I started in February, and I will be leaving in May as my semester ends. I am currently a sophomore at Vanderbilt University, majoring in Communication Studies. I’m double minoring in Cinema & Media Arts and Human & Organizational Development (a mouthful, I know). In high school, I edited videos as a hobby, but my first formal introduction to editing was when I edited a biweekly entertainment news segment for Vanderbilt Video Productions in my freshman year. I have also been a member of The Marketing Group for two years, and I was recently selected to serve as president next year! TMG offers an educational and experience-oriented pathway for Vanderbilt students seeking a career in marketing. Throughout the year, we learn marketing techniques and implement them as we support a local Nashville organization’s marketing effort.