Name: Olivia Lin
Class Year: 2027
Major: Psychology
Minor: Data Science
 
Internship Organization: Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation
Internship Title:  Community Workshop Assistant
Location: Philadelphia, PA

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

As an intern at the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, my main responsibilities involve managing our social media presence and content strategy. It’s an exciting opportunity to apply what I’ve learned as a psychology major to the real world. I spend my time designing engaging visuals like promotional posters using Canva, translating post captions for our bilingual audience, and managing the content calendar to ensure our posts are published consistently. 

A major part of my role is supporting community-focused initiatives. I am actively involved in a campaign to educate the community on their civic rights, where I’ve created materials like the “Know Your Rights” brochure and informational cards. I also help promote major cultural events like the Chinatown Lantern Festival by designing promotional materials to boost attendance and collaborating with community partners. 

Why did you apply for this internship?  

One of the biggest surprises has been the sheer volume of content creation required and the fast pace of work in a non-profit setting. I expected to be involved in social media, but the constant demand for fresh, engaging visuals and translated captions was more than I anticipated. It has been a great lesson in adaptability and managing expectations. 

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?  

I’m developing a range of skills that are helping me grow both personally and professionally. I’m sharpening my technical skills in Canva for graphic design and using Microsoft Excel more strategically for project tracking and data organization. More importantly, as a psychology major, I’m learning how to apply psychological principles to create messages that truly connect with people. For the “Know Your Rights” campaign, I’m learning how to communicate sensitive information in a way that empowers people without causing fear. This internship is showing me how a psychology degree can be used in a practical, community-focused field and, as an international student, it’s teaching me about the dynamics of an American workplace. 

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced at your internship? 

The biggest challenge was initially the fast-paced environment and the high volume of content creation. It was a bit overwhelming at first to manage the content calendar and ensure timely publication while also supporting other initiatives. I’ve handled this by becoming much more organized and using Excel to plan my week and prioritize tasks. I also learned to ask for clarification when needed, which has saved a lot of time and rework.