Interview Q&A with Maia Penn
The Atlanta Hawks HBCU Pathways Program Internships presented by Georgia Power prepares the next generation of diverse leaders in the sports, entertainment, and hospitality industry. In collaboration with Georgia Power, this program engaged students in a 9-week summer internship experience that exposed students to various career pathways. We sat down and talked with Maia Penn, a rising junior at Spelman, about her experience with the Social Media Team during her internship.
- How would you describe this internship to other students?
To other students, I would describe the Hawks internship experience as one that was comfortable and one that provided an environment where we, as interns, could learn and grow. When I was preparing for the experience, I had thoughts on what I believed the workplace environment would be like from hearing about other experiences working in large corporations; I thought it would be strict and rigid; however, since our first day, the environment was welcoming and provided the opportunity to experience newness of a new industry and team dynamics. - What was your favorite part or parts of your internship experience?
The Atlanta Hawks has a mantra of being “True to Atlanta,” and not only do they build their brand around that, but they also provided opportunities for us to understand what True to Atlanta means outside of our office walls. One of the memorable experiences they curated for us was the opportunity to visit and explore Atlanta’s sports community. I had the opportunity to attend a Braves game with the other interns, and the Hawks created a magical moment for us to receive some Braves merch and experience going down on the field following the game; this experience was so unique and exciting and reinforced their beliefs in making magical moments and being True to Atlanta.
- How did Georgia Power and the Atlanta Hawks make your internship the ultimate ‘True to Atlanta’ experience?
From the beginning of the program, Georgia Power and the Atlanta Hawks highlighted how much they valued our participation in the program. They shared with us that we were the inaugural cohort and that we should go about this experience trying to gain the maximum value that we could from the opportunity; they also welcomed us to provide feedback on the program so they could begin thinking of ways to improve the program next year. We appreciated the opportunity to feel like our voice and perspective mattered. We also felt like, because it was the first year of the program, we had the opportunity to set the bar high for the next cohort of Pathways scholars.
During the program, we visited GA Power’s office to engage in workshops to prepare us to launch our careers. They facilitated a session around networking with GA Power employees; everyone who participated made the interns feel so incredibly welcomed. We also had sessions on resume building and interview strategies. - What was the biggest challenge you faced during the internship and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge was not the internship experience itself; the GA Power and Hawks teams did everything necessary to set us up for success. My biggest challenge was understanding time management and navigating my commute to and from work. I was able to work on time management to ensure that I was able to be punctual, as this was my first time having to commute into the office - How important is it to you and your academic/career experience that Georgia Power and the Hawks have this internship program?
I have always had a genuine interest in medicine; however, I was also curious about exploring my other career interests before leaving college and launching my career journey. The internship experience with the Atlanta Hawks and joining the Social Media team enabled me to explore my curiosity in social media and how companies leverage their brand to connect with fans. The experience provided a unique opportunity to see how the Atlanta Hawks craft their content amplification strategy. I recognize that a lot of people are not able to say that they were able to work for an NBA social media team, and I am grateful for that. I also feel prepared to speak about my experience with others, helping them see that supporting a company’s social media strategy is a viable career path. - What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned this summer?
The greatest lesson I learned is how to network effectively. Before this experience, I believed networking was straight to the point; people met people to gain something from the person they were connecting with, like seeing if they could help them land a job. However, I learned that networking should be more of a two-way street and that to be successful, one will need to understand that they have to give value to a person as much as they expect to receive value from a person. Now I am prepared to return to school and use the networking lessons I learned. - What was the biggest piece of resume building or interview advice you learned from Georgia Power?
From GA Power I learned that when you are interviewing, interviewers genuinely want to get to know who you are and the contributions you can add to a team. GA Power reminded us that we are not robots but people and that every answer shouldn’t sound so scripted. They also encouraged us to bring our whole selves into an interview and to highlight how we would be a good fit at the organization. They taught us that companies want to get to know who you are, how you would work in the environment, and how you would interact with your team members. - What kind of new skills or knowledge did you gain as an intern?
Outside of the networking and interview sessions we participated in, this internship really allowed me to turn on my creative cap. I have never worked in an environment where I could think creatively and bring new ideas to the table. Working with the Social Media team, you have to be creative. We had our team meetings where we huddled to brainstorm new ideas for the business; some of those brainstorms included ideas for celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, and how we could integrate a corporate partner into our Hawks brand organically. This experience really allowed me to become creative. - Do you feel this internship has helped to prepare you for your career, and if so, how?
This experience has opened my mind to other career opportunities. Now, I am trying to think creatively on how I can marry medicine and social media into a successful career. - What was your proudest/most rewarding moment during your internship
My proudest and most rewarding experience was visiting GA Power’s office, engaging with their team members, and them letting us know how proud of us they were, along with all the great things they heard about the interns in the Pathways program. I really appreciated that because it let me know that they valued us coming in and doing the best we could do. They also impressed upon us the importance of being a part of the inaugural cohort, and that what we brought to the table was just the perfect experience they were looking for. - What was it like having exposure to both Georgia Power and Atlanta Hawks executives and volunteers throughout the program and how did that impact your experience?
Being able to meet all those people just shows how great the companies and the brands are. When I think about Georgia Power, I used to think of it as an electricity company, and an organization that supports the city. When I think about the Atlanta Hawks, I really only thought about the players. Before this experience, I never really see the people who are putting in the time and the effort to actually make the brands what they truly are. I really appreciated seeing this during our internship experience because it just lets you know, not only what other career opportunities are available but also the type of people who are pouring into them, the brands, which allows you to see yourself in those positions, and see yourself in those companies.
