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Intern Chronicles: ESPN’s Summer Class Of 2020 Storytellers Writes The Book

Meet some members of this summer's group as they share their unique work spaces and experiences so far

EDITOR’S NOTE: Once again this summer, Front Row’s Intern Chronicles series showcases some of ESPN’s summer interns. For more information on ESPN Internships, visit the ESPN Careers site.

This summer’s ESPN interns are working in various departments and are making a significant impact across the company. Working from home, the Class of 2020 has had opportunities to help with multiple projects and build meaningful connections with their colleagues throughout departments.

Check out the video below to meet some of the faces of this year’s group as they show off their unique office spaces around the U.S. for National Intern Day, which was July 31.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sixteen of 19 interns are featured in the video, which was produced by Taylor Garner and Shelby L. Lacy.

In the text below, many of these interns share their favorite projects or moments thus far.

Taylor Garner, Communications Intern, Ga. – “My favorite project I’ve been working on so far is the Intern Chronicles. It’s a bi-weekly post that appears externally on ESPN Front Row and internally on Inside ESPN and gives a glimpse inside the Class of 2020 ESPN summer interns’ experiences so far.”

Hannah Peery, Social Media Intern, Fla. – “My favorite thing I’ve worked on as an intern is ESPN’s Snapchat show, The Throwback. Basketball is my favorite sport, so I had a blast editing the best moments of the 2019-20 NBA season before the pandemic.”

Casey Roback, Programming Intern, Calif. – “My favorite thing that I have worked on has been manipulating the linear schedule to add soccer matches by altering the surrounding programming. It is extremely rewarding to see your work pay off on live television!”

Kelly Ward, Diversity and Inclusion Intern, Conn. – “My favorite assignment that I have worked on so far has been helping my team compile ideas for diversity and inclusion efforts. I know that the work I do will have a huge impact and will help the staff here at ESPN. That’s an awesome feeling!”

Simon Gibbs, Content Insights Intern, N.Y. – “One project that I found particularly interesting was our analysis of various ESPN television stunts during the quarantine period. In doing so, our team was able to figure out which reruns, old games, and other ESPN content performed well – even while sports were on pause.”

Jennifer Ceci, Media Strategy and Planning Intern, Conn. – “My favorite part of the internship so far has been meeting and creating relationships with people as well as working with many teams and understanding the different roles within the company. Looking forward to the rest of the summer with ESPN!”

Jack Pugliese, Brand Marketing Intern, Conn. – “The past few weeks I have had the privilege of being part of the much-anticipated Hype Hits launch. Seeing both internal and external talent engage and promote such a collaborative effort shed light on the power of teamwork and the quality of resilience.”

Aron Cohen, Social Media Intern, Calif. – “My favorite projects have been the creative evergreen ideas. I had an idea to create a ‘these photos might make you look twice’ post, and people really seemed to like it.”

Alec Alvarez, Sports Marketing Intern, Texas – “My favorite assignment that I’m working on is Culture x ESPN, where I’m delving into the intersections of culture and sport, such as sports and music, fashion, storytelling, food, and more. It’s been an amazing experience and pleasure meeting so many brilliant minds that influence and deliver the sports storytelling and content that I’m passionate about.”

Rachel Smith, G& L Creative Intern, Fla. – “Helping the WNBA anthem go from an idea to full-fledged TV spot, being part of the culture team of the D& I task force and getting to know ESPN employees from all across the country and company have been my most memorable moments so far. I’m really looking forward to what’s next!”

Pranav Iyer, Social Media Intern, Calif. – “My favorite piece I’ve worked on thus far is the top plays of the NBA season video because it is a longer, more creative project that added variation to the normally fast-paced workflow of social media. My most memorable experiences apart from the ‘work’ aspect have been the video calls I have had with several trailblazing Asian-American ESPN reporters and media personalities that I have looked up to for years!”

Brianna Williams, Social Media Intern, N.C. – “My time with the social team has allowed me to connect with an innovative and supportive group of people. I also enjoy being involved with the espnW social media pages. My role with this team has helped me gain a newfound appreciation for the WNBA and MLB.”

Lauren Cochran, Digital Media Programming, La. – “My favorite project so far has been scheduling the NBA press conferences leading up to the regular season, because it gets fans excited as they wait to see their favorite team tip-off [on the NBA Florida campus].”

Patrick Rose, Corporate Strategy Intern, Mass. – “While my projects have been very interesting and impactful, learning from the ESPN Corporate Strategy team and connecting with several people across the business have been my favorite aspects of my internship. These conversations have proved invaluable and have contributed to an enriching summer experience!”

Merrick McCool, Social Media Intern, Miss. –  “Working on the social team, every project is interesting and fun when you know that each piece will be viewed by millions of followers across social media. My favorite projects have been ones where I’ve had the freedom to design a graphic, based on stats, on photoshop before sharing it across social.”

Shelby Spurlock, Programming Intern, Ill. – “The opportunities are truly endless here, but I would say my favorite project so far has been working on an ESPNU Programming strategy project where I get to be creative and schedule an entire day worth of content and air it. It will be incredible to see all of my hard work come together on television!”

Sixteen of ESPN’s 19 summer interns in the Class of 2020. (Illustration: Taylor Garner/ESPN)
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