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Profile
of Jeff Knox, Intern, Office of Institutional Advancement, University
of Pittsburgh, 4/05
By Amanda Harber
PPW/Writing Center Publicity Intern
Jeff Knox is
an English Writing and Public Health major who decided to add the
PPW certificate to his course load because he believes that the
PPW program offers him a more professionally universal program than
his English Writing major alone would. He also thinks that the PPW
certificate will give him the excellent writing skills that the
professional world requires. He believes that the program will be
exactly what he needs to get a “head start” after college.
Jeff’s current internship at the University of Pittsburgh’s
Office of Institutional Advancement is his first internship. He
landed this internship after Pam O’Brien contacted the office
for him and discovered that the office would be happy to have an
intern. Jeff has always been interested in writing for nonprofits,
especially educational ones, and he loves Pitt, so he found a perfect
fit with his internship.
At his internship, Jeff writes articles for a magazine, World
of Giving, that alumni, donors, and friends of the University
receive. Through this work, he’s learned important aspects
of good writing—he can write for an audience, be concise,
and organize his thoughts into a persuasive style.
Jeff’s most significant experience at his internship occurred
when he saw his name in print in the magazine. At his internship,
he’s learned what it means to work in a real work place.
He advises students who may be considering PPW or a PPW internship
to, “try something you think you like, and then try something
totally different. Keep an open mind.” In a way, Jeff wishes
that he had come to Pitt undecided. He believes that if he had been
undecided, he would have been more willing to try a variety of classes
and disciplines instead of narrowing his path to what he believes
was a preconceived and incorrect notion.
However, Jeff’s internship has helped him broaden his ideas
and understand his future path. He says, “It's turned an idea
into reality. Instead of practicing and talking about professional
writing, I'm actually doing it. And this real-life practice taught
me the techniques used in the workplace." Without skills in
professional writing, Jeff argues, a person's value to the professional
world decreases. He thinks that the opportunity to participate in
the PPW internship will help him get ahead when he decides to look
for a job or apply to professional school. |
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