A Strategic Summer

By Grace Collins '22, September 17, 2021

Julia Batista ‘22 completed the esteemed 2021 Stickell Honors Student Internship Program.

Julia Batista ‘22 was the 17th Ithaca College student to take part in the Stickell Honors Student Internship Program.

(Photo submitted)

As an integrated marketing communications student, Julia Batista ‘22 is no stranger to persuasive communications. That’s why, when given the chance to prove she deserved a spot in one of the most competitive advertising internship programs in the country, she was ready.

Originally established by the Los Angeles Times and American Advertising Federation, the Vance and Betty Lee Stickell Honors Student Internship Program, currently housed at the University of Texas at Austin, pairs 20 highly-qualified students with 10-week summer internships at advertising agencies and media companies. With this honor, Batista becomes the seventeenth Ithaca College student to be accepted into the program since its inception.

In November of 2020, Batista received an email from Scott Hamula, chair of the department of strategic communications, letting her know he was nominating her to apply for the program. Over the course of the next week, Batista collected letters of recommendation, requested transcripts, and wrote personal statements to complete the application package.

“I was afraid that it wasn’t going to get done, but it happened,” said Batista. “After that, it’s up to the program to decide if you’re a good fit, and then they share your application with advertising agencies that can decide if they want to interview you. I had three agencies reach out to me.”

After a lengthy interview process, Batista’s dreams became a reality when she was offered a position as a business intern at her top pick, TBWA/Chiat/Day NY, a highly decorated and innovative agency.

As a person who wants to be a lifelong learner, I learned that strategy is where I want to be. Throughout all the research, you learn fun facts about random things that you wouldn't just find out about in your free time.

Julia Batista '22

“I remember that day so vividly,” she said. “I was in my room doing schoolwork, and I got an email from Scott with a GIF saying congratulations. I called my dad immediately, and he was so proud of me. It was my first internship with an agency, so it was a big deal.”

When her internship — which was virtual — began, she dove into the work, monitoring project timelines, taking meeting notes, and learning the ins and outs of the campaign processes and client relationships.

Halfway through her internship, Batista became particularly intrigued by the work done in TBWA/Chiat/Day’s strategy department and decided to complete the rest of her internship working with that team. There, she was able to do research on social media and consumer behavior, formulate insights, and produce weekly newsletters to keep the entire department up to date on current media and social trends.

“As a person who wants to be a lifelong learner, I learned that strategy is where I want to be. Throughout all the research, you learn fun facts about random things that you wouldn't just find out about in your free time,” she said. “I was having coffee chats with a bunch of strategists, and the way that they were speaking about their everyday responsibilities, why they chose strategy, and the clients they work with, it really inspired me.”

Every day, I think about how grateful I am for the internship experience. I was lucky enough to realize that the things that I really like to do in class were mirrored in the responsibilities that I had in strategy.

Julia Batista '22

Batista credited much of her success to lessons she’s learned throughout her IMC coursework, particularly Lisa Farman’s Research and Statistics for Strategic Communications and Hamula’s advertising classes. Additionally, as the president of student-run publication Buzzsaw Magazine, she’s had another outlet to put her communications and leadership skills to work.

“Julia is highly responsible, self-motivated, and truly welcomes a challenge,” said Hamula in a statement recommending Batista for the program. “She is a hardworking self-starter who carefully devises a plan of action and then does what it takes to see it through to successful completion.”

Following her graduation this spring, Batista hopes to find a strategy role where she can continue to learn and put her problem-solving skills to work.

“Every day, I think about how grateful I am for the internship experience,” she said. “I was lucky enough to realize that the things that I really like to do in class were mirrored in the responsibilities that I had in strategy.”