Huffington Pro
Emily Robertson ’17
As Huffington Post’s campus-editor-at-large, Emily Robertson ’17 is a voice for students nationwide, and she’s discovering a passion for social media marketing. She discusses what she’s learning during this high-profile internship, which she will hold until graduation, as well as the skills she’s gathered as a summer intern for Philadelphia-area businesses. Learn what she admires about her favorite professor, the class that inspired her to become an economics major and more.
Major:
Clubs and organizations:
Big Brothers Big Sisters, Internship Notation Program.
Favorite book:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
Favorite movie:
Gone with the Wind.
Favorite place on campus:
The deck behind the Quarry.
Favorite dining hall food:
Chicken pita melt from the Snar.
On choosing a major:
Originally, I came to Dickinson wanting to be an international business & management major. But after my first semester I decided it wasn’t for me. I took an introductory economics class and fell in love with the subject. I really enjoyed learning about why the market acts in certain ways based on policies and laws and about why actors make certain decisions based on market fluctuations and opportunities. I liked being able to apply my studies to the real world and situations I could be faced with in the future.
Favorite professor:
One of my favorite professors is [Associate] Professor [of Economics Ebru] Kongar. I have taken two economics classes with her, one of which I am taking this year. I appreciate how much she wants her students to think for themselves and learn about all perspectives of economics. She has taught me to think about all aspects of the economy and all viewpoints. Very inspiring!
How I got the internship at the Huffington Post:
I follow the Huffington Post on Twitter. They tweeted about a great position they had, and it was definitely something I was interested in, because it focuses on social media and the way the internet is changing and influencing the news. I answered some questions online about my interests and background, and then I had an online interview.
How it works:
There are no limits to what we can write about. I have written about Brexit, and how that relates to our election, and I am writing now about abortion rights and women's rights as well as voter turnout for the election. I correspond with my editor and send her my drafts, and she gives her ideas and input to make sure it is evergreen content, grammatically correct and flows well. So far, I have learned time management and how to communicate well with my managers, and my writing skills have improved a lot.
Favorite assignment so far:
Probably my first one! I wrote about Brexit and voter turnout, and I compared that to the U.S. I really enjoyed connecting my two backgrounds. My whole family is from England, and my brother and I are actually the first born in America, so I really enjoyed finding similarities between the two countries. When it comes to the two elections, young voters have been crucial in both countries, but in neither country have millennial voters actually been casting their votes well enough.
What I’ve learned:
I have learned so much about myself as a writer and how to better articulate my thoughts in an intriguing and clear way. I have also, honestly, learned more about our country and the news and its connections to my life. I have always loved watching the news and keeping up-to-date on events, but when you have to write blogs about it frequently and create your own opinions to share with the public, you pay attention a lot more and make so many more connections to your everyday life. My editor has been so helpful, and I have learned a lot from the bloggers at Dickinson that I am in charge of.
As a kid, I wanted to be …
… an Olympian or veterinarian.
Plans for life beyond Dickinson:
After Dickinson, I hope to work in marketing and social media. It is a growing industry in the age of media marketing and advertising, and a necessary tool for the business world.
On internships:
In addition to my current position, I have interned at three very different places: Big Brothers Big Sisters in Boston, as a development intern; Dress for Success in Philly, as a summer intern; and Penn’s Village in Philly, as a social media intern. Each experience helped me develop my professionalism and communication skills, and at my last internship (Penn's Village), I discovered a rapidly growing area in business that harnessed many of my passions, and that led me to apply for a position at the Huffington Post where I work now as a campus-editor-at-large.
My advice for students seeking internships is to look for a boss or manager or company that wants you to grow and gives you opportunities to make connections and have new experiences. I had that at all of my internships so far.
Little-known talent:
I love waterskiing. It is my absolute favorite thing to do on the lake, during the summer, at around 8 a.m.
Favorite quote:
"Tomorrow is another day!" –Gone with the Wind
Learn more
- HuffPo articles by Emily
- Department of Economics
- Interns in Action
- More Student Snapshots
- Latest News
Published May 16, 2017