Belk College junior Austin Halbert will have both a front-row seat and a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the excitement of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), as an intern for CNN during the convention. Austin, a Management major, is participating in the Washington Center program as part of the 49er Democracy Experience. His internship will consist of a variety of tasks related to production, promotion and publication. “My goal is to improve my ability to work under pressure,” he said, “while also keeping an eye out for networking opportunities.
“As a Charlotte resident with a real connection to the city, I hope to be able to assist CNN as a resource to link them with local organizations,” he continued. “I’m looking forward to gaining firsthand insight into the operations of such an established company, and I hope to make contacts for future endeavors.”
Two Belk College Dean's Fellows - Ashleigh Thornton of Greensboro and Tenbite Seyoum of Durham - will participate in a day-long job shadow with AT&T and Bloomberg, where they will participate in the Bloomberg Insider Magazine convention preview breakfast and work alongside mentors from both companies. This experience was arranged through Belk College alumnus Todd Lanham, regional director of external affairs for AT&T.
In addition, ten students from the Belk College's Business Honors Program will have the opportunity to attend programs sponsored by the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a non-partisan non-profit organization whose mission is peacemaking and building democracies around the world. NDI is the DNC host for visiting foreign dignitaries, and the programs are part of their International Leaders Forum, held at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. Jingjing Zhao, a junior student in the Business Honors Program, is volunteering with the NDI as a community ambassador.
In anticipation of the opportunities afforded by the DNC (as well as the Republican National Convention in Tampa), UNC Charlotte developed the 49er Democracy Experience, a series of programs and activities designed to enhance the public understanding of and participation in our nation’s democratic process.