Get to Know Estipona Group’s Four Creative and Talented Interns

Will you look at that, more Estiponies! The more the merrier, right? (The answer is yes, if you couldn’t tell.) In the last few months, Estipona Group has hired four new interns, making our small and mighty team not so small anymore (but still mighty). All four interns are current college students, who have some pretty good insight on what it means to “work hard, play hard.”

Let’s get to know these cool creative cats, why they chose EG and what they’ve learned here that they didn’t learn in school.

Shelly Suh - Graphic Design Intern

Tell us about yourself? 

My love for creating started in the 3rd grade, embarrassingly, with an origami obsession. I loved the potential of making anything with something as simple as a sheet of paper, and letting my imagination take over. My passions grew over time, taking me through photography to graphic design and to everything under the umbrella of visual communications from there. I graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with my Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and am a heartbeat away from completing my Master of Arts in Media Innovation there as well!  

What do you like to do when you’re not creating amazing graphic design?

My list of hobbies goes on for miles, but the best way to sum it up is that I love learning and trying new things, especially when I have great people around me to share it with! If it's musical, artsy, active — or better yet, all three — I’ll be there in a heartbeat (if it’s not already on my extensive to-do list). Recently, I’ve been really into thrifting, weight-lifting, and little travel adventures!

Why EG? 

Despite having years of design experience, I had no experience at an agency, so I was honestly a bit nervous — with the horror stories of the marketing world and all. Within minutes of my first call with Ed, I dropped my guard and thought, "Oh, I can just be myself?" Despite my natural awkwardness, I feel a constant positive force to just work as my best self. I feel respected as an individual. I'm grateful to experience a company that gives me a safe space to learn and grow in that same way.

What has EG taught you that you didn't learn in school?

I learned what healthy teamwork actually feels like... Joking aside (even though it's totally true), I don't even know where to start! I've been given so many opportunities to try types of design that aren't as familiar, like layout design or Figma, to learn new tools and functions within programs I thought I already knew. I never would have learned so much without Stephanie (Estipona Group Senior Art Director), she’s truly a shortcut wizard.

Leslie Medina - Copywriting Intern

Tell us about yourself? 

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve had a passion for writing. Some of my earliest memories are of writing anything and everything in a glittery hot pink journal. Eventually I started writing down all of my dreams and writing to my past self, reflecting on the previous year, which has slowly but surely confirmed how much I love writing. I’m a first-generation student at the University of Nevada, Reno, studying Journalism with an emphasis in public relations, and Spanish with an emphasis in language and literature. (Did I mention I’m graduating this fall!) I’ve previously worked with nonprofits and government entities supporting and informing the Latinx community, but have slowly steered my way towards a broader spectrum of creative writing. 

What do you like to do when you're not making words dance across the page? 

I am a big outdoors girl, so anything outside, I’m there. Hiking, paddle boarding and swimming are my usual go to’s, with a little snowboarding (I’m still learning). I was raised at Lake Tahoe, so I like to brag about how “warm” the water is, when it most certainly is not. I’ve recently fallen in love with traveling, so if I’m not in Rome eating a croissant, I’m most likely hiking through Northern California. I also love music and going to concerts, so chances are I’m dancing and singing somewhere if I’m not at work!

Why EG?

When I was looking to transition from one internship to another, the Estipona Group came up in a newsletter sent to me by one of my previous professors. Funny thing is, the night before I got the newsletter, I was practically stalking EG’s Instagram and thought to myself, “Wow, I feel like this is somewhere I could see myself working for a long time.” It was a feeling I’d never felt at any of my old jobs. After talking to Ed for hours on the phone (although it felt like minutes because it was such a good conversation), I knew this internship was for me. From the very beginning, I felt welcomed and wanted. I’ve only been with EG a whopping three weeks and have already felt the amazing energy from each of the team members. 

What has EG taught you that you didn't learn in school?

I can easily say that EG has shown me just how broad “public relations” can be, and how creative and fun we can make it. In school, I feel like I’ve mostly been taught very news-oriented writing, straight to the facts and no room for play. With EG, I have been able to try out new things and experiment more with my writing in a professional way, while still being myself.  

Natalie Anderson - Graphic Design Intern

Tell us about yourself? 

I’m currently a senior at Lewis & Clark College studying Sociology and Anthropology. I have been interested in graphic design since my freshman year of high school, where I was enrolled in a technical skills program that introduced me to the Adobe Creative Suite. These days, I enjoy merging my interests to produce people-centric and thought-driven designs.

What do you like to do when you’re not creating art that drives action?

I really enjoy being outdoors (I have to give the eyeballs a break from the screen) which includes anything from hiking to kayaking to snowshoeing — I like it all. In fact, my university offers students discounted trips to places like Crater Lake and Mt. Hood, so I often take advantage of those for fun weekend getaways. I also love exploring new cities and connecting with new people — you can always count me in for trying out a cute coffee shop or bar, and striking up a conversation with someone new. Honestly, I think my favorite thing to do is just to experience new things and enjoy the many simple joys life has to offer — and absolutely anything that involves laughter — I'm always up for a good laugh! 

Why EG?

I have literally written a ten page paper on how awesome this company is (it was for an assignment to help me get credit for this internship. I promise I'm not THAT much of a groupie...maybe.) I love working with a group of people that are not only talented and smart, but kind and fun to work with. EG's clients are also really amazing contributors to our community and it feels good to work on projects that are meaningful and often intended to connect people to important services and information. There is so much I could say!

What has EG taught you that you didn't learn in school?

Coming from a Sociology/Anthropology background, interning at EG has helped me develop technical skills that my liberal arts education has not, shout out Stephanie. I’ve really enjoyed learning more about how marketing campaigns unfold, from the research stages to the execution, and seeing how magically this team comes together to produce high-quality, research-driven work. Even beyond the technical skills I've acquired, EG also sets an excellent example of an ideal company culture and I've had the privilege of observing how to be a better member of a team.

Lynn Lazaro - Copywriting Intern

Tell us about yourself? 

I've always had a love for writing since I was in elementary school, but never imagined myself searching for a career doing it until the last couple of years. I took up journalism as my major last year, and my background is actually in news writing, and broadcasting. I’m a student at the University of Nevada, Reno, and am graduating this spring. Before joining EG, the most copywriting I had done was social media and website writing for on-campus organizations. I’m also the founder of a student newsroom called Vibrant Voices. We aim to increase representation of marginalized groups at the University.

What do you like to do when you're not crafting inspirational prose?

I love starting new projects, helping people learn and build out their portfolios for future jobs. It might seem like a lot of work, but I love what I do and helping people has become something that has become a part of me. When I'm not working on content for Vibrant Voices, I also spend a lot of time cooking, watching anime, Korean dramas, and spending some quality time with my pups!

Why EG?

I chose EG because I really liked the friendliness and transparency Edward showed me during my interview. The company is very down to earth, and everyone has been super cool and nice so far. It really gave me a sense of how down to earth the company was. This is my first time working at an agency, and I've honestly had such a great experience so far. My favorite thing is the fact that we have a group chat dedicated to just giving kudos to each other, and (it's really active!). I've definitely worked in places where hard work went unnoticed, and knowing that everyone is always looking for a way to congratulate each other is so refreshing to me.

What has EG taught you that you didn't learn in school?

I've learned that writing blog posts is actually really hard! As a reporter, most of my writing is not conversational, so trying to figure out how to convey information in a friendly, personable way for a blog has been really challenging for me. I've also learned a lot about writing scripts for video and audio. I learned this in school, but actually being able to put it into practice has been super helpful. My skill set has definitely grown while being at EG.