After Civic Park’s ground-breaking event, I drove back to my apartment thinking how much better my first day went than I had expected, even with my ‘first day jitters’ mistake. My first day as Hemisfair’s spring marketing intern was amazing, yet it was probably the most “bad” day I’ve had during my internship. Not because of my mistakes, or toxicity, or anything of that sort, but because my time at Hemisfair has only improved with each day.

Since my first day, my knowledge of Hemisfair has expanded by leaps and bounds. For example, have you ever noticed how the concrete has almost a warm hue to it? It’s because a small amount of iron is added to the concrete mixture, which then oxidizes and gives off this color. Gary, who assists in redevelopment of Hemisfair, shared this with me, and told me about other fun architecture facts on a daily basis. Or do you know where the caterpillars like to hang out in the park? I didn’t either until Jane, Hemisfair’s operations supervisor, showed me, and told me about the favorite spots in the park of other furry friends. If you didn’t know either of these things, then you probably don’t know how the mulch is spread around Yanaguana Garden. It is designed to be easily maneuvered over, to be wheelchair-friendly. I didn’t know any of these things.

Through my remarkable experience as marketing intern, I’ve had the opportunity to pursue my passion for creating and writing inside a beautiful historical home, in the middle of a stellar and inclusive park in downtown San Antonio. That’s made coming to work nothing but enjoyable. And if the beauty and vibes of Hemisfair didn’t do it for me, my co-worrkers definitely did.

Everyone who works here is extremely friendly and helpful. I genuinely enjoy collaborating and talking to everyone here. Not only is everyone a joy to be around, they all are experienced in their careers and positions, which makes for amazing mentors to learn and receive advice from. From hearing Gary’s daily fun facts about architecture, to dancing at hosted events with Jane, to being welcomed by Traci’s warm smile every time she sees you, to accidentally scaring Hilda multiple times a day, to Melissa’s delicious home-made cakes, to collaborating with Shannon, to Andres’ authenticity, and to all the lessons and small but meaningful gestures from Thea — I have had only positive interactions with everyone at Hemisfair. And a multitude of them at that.

As Hemisfair’s marketing intern, my daily tasks have varied — managing the social media accounts, becoming an active and engaging presence on social media, attending our array of fun events for coverage, writing copy, creating graphics, assisting with any other tasks that appear, and a self imposed task of trying not to tumble down the steep stairs in the office.

Through my experience as an intern, Hemisfair has now become one of my favorite places, and it holds fond memories of good people in a gorgeous setting. I cannot express the gratitude I have towards Hemisfair for giving me this opportunity to further my career, and for providing me with the best mentors. Hemisfair has helped me transform from a raw student-intern into a confident, college graduate with experience in many different areas.