Hey! My name is Shawna, and today is my first day interning at Like a Voss Inc. I am a second-year Advertising and Marketing Communications Management student at St. Lawrence College and currently live in Napanee, Ontario. My student experience has not been what I had expected when applying to college in January 2020, but it strengthened my interest in working remotely – who wouldn’t want to work from home and snuggle their pets all day?
I have been intrigued by social media since I first started using it, I wanted to have every account and stay connected. The internet quickly changed from somewhere I went to play games to a place I went to talk to friends, and share my thoughts – and trust me, I shared them all. Looking back at my old posts, I can’t help but feel embarrassed 12-year-old Shawna was not eloquent with her words, she posted everything she thought and was convinced she needed to update her status at least ten times a day. Over the last few years, my social media use has changed and turned into more of a passion, where I then began exploring how to turn this passion into a career.
When I got my dog, Rory, I wanted to document her growing up. I got Rory when I was in a tough place with my mental health, and she helped me through that. Sharing our adventures and training online pushed me out of my comfort zone, and helped me make new connections. Slowly her Instagram grew, and we were offered brand deals. Companies would send us products, we would post for them, give reviews, etc. Although her account isn’t huge, this sparked my interest and I began doing it more frequently. A few years later, I changed my mind about my career path and decided to pursue social media, I dropped out of university and applied to SLC.
Making the switch to AMC has been one of the best choices I made. The professors helped me gain confidence in myself, in my work, and helped me grow my passion for social media. They pushed me outside of my comfort zone time and time again, which helped me grow as a person and led me here. Kathy encouraged me to reach out to Mandi when we were making connections in the world of marketing, and as scary as that was, I am so glad that I did.
From the very first interaction I had with Mandi, I felt so comfortable with her. She answered all my questions, she told me about her business, she was passionate and excited, but most of all, she was real. I left that meeting with Mandi and texted my partner at the time, “When I finish school, I want to work for someone like her.” She was understanding, patient, and treated her employees well.
Although this is only my first day at LAV. I cannot wait to see what the future brings these next few months, and I am already so grateful to be a part of the Like a Voss team.
– Shawna Steacy
