Lee’s Dean And Wieland Intern In D.C.

  • Friday, June 30, 2017
  • Charity Parris, Lee University
Kensington Wieland and Zackery Dean on the mezzanine inside of the Harry S. Truman building
Kensington Wieland and Zackery Dean on the mezzanine inside of the Harry S. Truman building

Lee University students Zackery Dean and Kensington Wieland are spending their summer interning in Washington D.C. at the U.S. Department of State. 

“These internships in D.C. at the Department of State are very competitive,” said Dr. Patty Silverman, professor of public relations at Lee. “Having two public relations students accepted this summer once again demonstrates how outstanding our students are. They have the opportunity to be ambassadors for Christ and for Lee University as they further their training at these internships.” 

While Mr. Dean and Ms. Wieland’s internships are in separate offices, they have had the opportunity to work together in many ways such as staffing the ascension of Montenegro into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which was the first expansion of the treaty in 10 years. 

Mr. Dean is a rising junior public relations major from King George, Virginia, serving as an intern in the Office of Press Relations for the Bureau of Public Affairs. Since beginning his internship, Mr. Dean has worked on projects involving building media outreach lists, monitoring White House briefings, writing up notes on foreign policy mentions, and escorting press to and from staff press events for the Secretary of State. 

Mr. Dean is building a media contact list for a project helping individuals who have made great strides against human trafficking connect with reporters from their hometowns. 

“Working for the Department of State is nothing shy of a dream come true,” said Mr. Dean. “The fast pace of the federal government makes it an incredible learning environment, and it’s amazing to be able to put into practice the public relations skills I’ve learned at Lee to help make a difference not only in D.C., but in our nation and worldwide.” 

Ms. Wieland is a rising senior public relations major from Knoxville, Tennessee, interning in the Office of Major Events and Conferences. During her internship, she has been responsible for assisting with all media relations and working with press. Ms. Wieland recently traveled to Miami, Florida, to work closely on the Central America Conference for Security and Prosperity. During the weeks leading up to the conference, she managed all press and media functions surrounding the event, was the main point of contact for the media, and was responsible for all written and verbal communication with them regarding event specifics and logistics. 

While in Miami, Ms. Wieland helped set up the event, arranged interviews between media outlets and foreign dignitaries attending the event, and escorted attendees including presidents of Central American countries such as Honduras and Guatemala. 

“Lee University has done an incredible job preparing me for an internship of this caliber,” said Ms. Wieland. “From learning basic office etiquette in Internship Seminar with Dr. Silverman to participating in a mock press conference in Media Relations with Dr. Mark Vermillion, much of what I’ve experienced here at the Department of State has been very similar to the experiences I’ve had in class, just on a larger scale.” 

The summer internship will conclude at the end of July, and they both look forward to returning to campus for the fall semester. 

For more information about Lee’s Public Relations program, contact the Department of Communication Arts at 614-8341. 

 

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