Founded on March 21, 1859, the nation’s first zoo is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. That’s why Courtney has been especially busy as a marketing and public relations intern promoting the monumental occasion to the region.
Since May, the aspiring communications professional has helped feed a giraffe for a live shot for WCAU-TV’s on-site weather report; assisted Ruby, a talking parrot, in an interview on WOGL-FM, and has even transformed herself into a gecko to entertain children visiting the Geico Gecko exhibit.
“I took this position because I wanted to be part of something big,” says the 2005 Palmyra High School graduate. “I have definitely fulfilled that dream, and it has given me the confidence to pursue jobs that I may not have felt prepared for before. I’m glad I was able to step outside my comfort zone of journalism and see where else my skills could take me.”
The English major, who transferred to Rutgers–Camden as a sophomore, also has been utilizing her writing background by drafting a public relations plan on a special community relations effort tied to the zoo’s commemorative year.
“For the 150th anniversary, the Zoo gave away gifts to select groups in the form of free admission, Zoo on Wheels visits, and conservation grants,” notes the former editor and current copy editor of the Rutgers–Camden student newspaper The Gleaner. “My job is to organize the press for each category of gifts, so that people can recognize all the great things the Zoo does for the surrounding community.”
In addition, Courtney assists with two zoo education programs that bring live music and authors into the facility each week. She has also been on hand for major fundraising events, doing “everything from setting up tables to cutting cakes in the dessert tent.”
“We had numerous applicants, but we only interviewed 15 candidates. Courtney has been a tremendous help at the Zoo this summer. Her diligence, creativity and problem solving have made her an asset to our department,” says Kirsten Wilf, communications manager at the Philadelphia Zoo.
When she isn’t at the zoo, Courtney’s still in close contact with furry friends at Allen’s Boarding Kennel in Moorestown, where she serves as a kennel worker.
“While I don’t interact with the animals at the Zoo the way I do with the ones at the kennel, I still think that passion for animals is a driving force for wanting to make the Zoo a better place and I see that with pretty much everyone I work with.”
The Rutgers–Camden Career Center manages the school’s internship program, which has helped students intern at reputable venues like Walt Disney World, Saturday Night Live, and the FBI.
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Media Contact: Cathy K. Donovan
(856) 225-6627
E-mail: catkarm@camden.rutgers.edu