Welcome to New York: ISC Student to Intern at Ogilvy, New York This Summer

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 7, 2015) — Chelsea St. Clair, an integrated strategic communication major from West Des Moines, Iowa, will work as an advertising intern at the Ogilvy and Mather New York offices this summer.

“This is a wonderful accomplishment for Chelsea,” Beth Barnes, director of the School of Journalism and Telecommunication, said.  “She has been very involved in the ISC major as well as in a range of campus activities.  I know she will be a tremendous ambassador for ISC and UK in New York!” 

St. Clair applied through the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program sponsored by the American Association of Advertising Agencies.  She had never heard of the program, but two weeks before the deadline for application, her advisor in the Center for Academic Resources and Enrichment Services (CARES), Kairise Conwell, recommended that St. Clair apply.  Although the application process was intensive — requiring three letters of recommendation, four essays and a video submission  — she decided to apply.

“It was an opportunity, so I was like, I’ll put my name out there,” St. Clair said.  “I’ll see how it goes.”

Clearly, it went well.  St. Clair was notified that she was a semi-finalist and would interview via Skype with an advertising specialist.

She was then recommended to be a finalist in the program by her interviewer, a talent specialist at McCann-Erickson advertising agency.  While the recommendation for finalist moved St. Clair to the next round, it did not guarantee her an internship placement.

Cue Feb. 11, 2015, a day St. Clair will not soon forget.

“That’s draft day,” she explained.  “That’s when all your information is put out to the agencies, and the agencies then pick who they want from the interns.  It’s literally the most nerve-wracking experience.”

St. Clair’s first choice of location was New York City.  But, there was a chance she could be placed in any city across the United States, or not be placed at all.

While working in her office as an intern in the Office of Development, she received an email that said she was offered a position at Ogilvy and Mather in New York City.

”It’s where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do, so I was ecstatic! I’m excited to get experience in the field and see if that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life,” St. Clair said.

Her ISC classes have prepared her to take on this position, in which she’ll work with 26 other student interns and present a comprehensive advertising campaign to a client.

“We’ll be presenting it to the client and getting immediate feedback on how they think this could work and how this won’t work,” St. Clair said.  “So that’s really nerve-wracking, but I’m really excited to actually dive right into it.”

St. Clair credits her success to her ISC professors Beth Barnes, Alyssa Eckman and Mark Stuhlfaut.

“They just know how to prepare students to be out in the real world,” she said.  “Everything that I’ve learned, it’s just all so interesting to me and all things that I can apply to the real world, and that’s what’s kept me in this major.”

In addition to her ISC degree, St. Clair will earn a dual degree in psychology and minor in communications and information studies.  She was PanHellenic president for the 2014-2015 school year, interns in the Office of Development, serves on the appropriations and revenue committee in Student Government and was the food coordinator for DanceBlue 2015.  Next semester she will intern at Right Place Media in Lexington.

When asked if she had any advice for current students, St. Clair imparted some wisdom.

“Don’t turn any opportunity down,” she said.  “Accept anything that comes your way.”

To keep up with Chelsea’s New York adventure and her experience interning with Ogilvy, visit the College of Communication and Information’s website at ci.uky.edu.  She will be uploading blog posts live from New York throughout the summer.

According to their website, Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications networks in the world. The company is composed of units in the following disciplines: advertising; public relations and public affairs; branding and identity; shopper and retail marketing; health care communications; direct, digital, promotion and relationship marketing; consulting, research and analytics capabilities; branded content and entertainment; and specialist communications.

MEDIA CONTACT: Rebecca Stratton and Blair Hoover, (859) 323-2395; rebecca.stratton@uky.edu, blair.hoover@uky.edu