Big Island Press Club Enjoys Student Takeover

COVID-19 interrupted many students in-person experience, including Holly Trowbridge’s.

Trowbridge, a senior at University of Hawai`i at Hilo, is spending her last semester (plus some) with her family, now in Oak Park, Illinois. Trowbridge was the first social media intern with the Big Island Press Club and she interned remotely as well.

Trowbridge will earn college credit for her internship which included:

Investigating the potential for an artificial intelligent news feed of Big Island Press Club members Coordinating the production of promotional videos for The Big Island Press Club scholarships,

Writing a plan for implementing a Big Island Press Club student auxiliary at the University,

Managing the student takeover of the Big Island Press Club Instagram feed. It was a pleasure working with Trowbridge and we are enthused to report that she thinks there is potential for a student auxiliary to the Big Island Press Club.

Trowbridge was asked to evaluate her internship experience and she gave the internship high marks. In addition, she shares this report. “I began working with the Big Island Press Club right in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, I continued with it, in an online format. It was difficult at times, due to the unique circumstances that surrounded me. One major factor was the intensity of having a five hour time difference. I started right away on the work I would get to know so intricately over the three month period the internship would cover, from July 15, 2020 until October 16, 2020. I worked feverishly on Alexa with Amazon, I met with Royelen once every single week, and I created individualized campaign plans for completing each of the initiatives set forth. Alexa proved to be a challenge, time and time again, but I didn’t let that stop me from becoming ever-proficient in understanding the problems that lay ahead. The Student Instagram Takeover was another step in the process. I had to get control of the account, and I had to advertise it well. The Promotional Videos were also difficult, especially regarding the access to the Big Island Press Club YouTube channel, but I was able to get myself, and some other people to send videos in for the project. Overall, I had a great experience learning about these different skills, and I highly recommend this opportunity for students going forward as well!”

We are grateful to Trowbridge for her contributions to The Big Island Press Club and wish her well as she heads towards finals and graduation. As her farewell, Trowbridge took over the Instagram account herself the week of October 19. Check out her posts and that of the other students at http://www.instagram.com/BigIslandPressClub