A Raleigh company has established an internship for Saint Augustine’s University students. The company, FirstPoint Resources, is located in west Raleigh and provides services for trade associations.
The company has taken on its first two interns, senior Kelvin Mitchell and sophomore Sharif Benis, who start work this month, focusing on a contract First Point Resources has with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses. The Saint Augustine’s University interns, who are both communications majors, will be helping with communication, social media, meeting planning and other tasks.
The internship came about after a staff member from First Point Resources came to Saint Augustine’s University to speak to a class in the university’s Media and Communications Department. Shortly thereafter, Jim Booth, Director of Operations & Business Development for FirstPoint Management Resources, approached the university about establishing a relationship.
“We started to look at interns and how they may be able to contribute to our projects for clients,” Booth explained. “We understand that this kind of relationship needs to be mutually beneficial for our clients, for FirstPoint and for the students. By engaging with FirstPoint, not only will students be able to practice real world applications of communication and marketing – they will also gain knowledge about association management, which is an oblique career choice that is not well known and is directly accessible through the communication pathway.”
In December of 2016, Booth met with Dr. Shawn Lewis, chairman of the Department of Media and Communications; Dan Holly, an assistant professor in that department; and Dr. Charles Ibeziako, an assistant professor in the Business and Accounting Department.
“We are excited to have this partnership with FirstPoint Resources,” said Dr. Lewis. “Students will gain valuable experience and work place skills that will make them competitive in the global workplace. This is just one of the great things that is happening this year in our department.”
Holly said he was particularly happy that the internship resulted from a visit by a FirstPoint employee to SAU. Teri Saylor of FirstPoint came to speak to Holly’s Survey of Mass Communications in the fall. “This just goes to show the value of having ties to the outside world,” he said.
— Staff reports
