Alumni Relations Marketing & Communications Internship

Job Description

Alumni Relations Marketing & Communications Internship 

Overview 

The Alumni Relations Marketing & Communications Internship provides students with hands-on experience developing and implementing marketing and communications initiatives that strengthen alumni connection, visibility, and engagement with Whittier College. 

Working with the Office of Alumni Relations, the intern will contribute to digital storytelling, social media, alumni communications, campaign development, event marketing, and engagement analytics. Through structured, project-based work and mentorship, the intern will develop transferable skills in communication, creativity, technology, critical thinking, leadership, and professional project management. 

Events and direct alumni outreach will serve as opportunities for the intern to apply marketing and communications skills in a real-world higher education advancement environment. Because Alumni Relations programs frequently involve events and personal outreach, the intern may also provide hands-on support with selected events and make outreach calls to alumni as part of broader engagement, giving, and communications efforts. 

Position Summary 

The Alumni Relations Marketing & Communications Intern supports the development and implementation of marketing and communications strategies that promote alumni engagement and strengthen the connection between alumni, students, and the College. 

The intern will create digital content, support targeted alumni campaigns, develop promotional materials for alumni programs and events, capture and share event-based stories, and evaluate engagement through digital and campaign analytics. 

The intern may also provide hands-on support at selected alumni events and participate in direct alumni outreach, including making calls to alumni for invitations, reminders, follow-up, surveys, giving, or other engagement initiatives. 

A central component of the internship is the opportunity to develop and complete a student-led alumni marketing or engagement project, allowing the intern to take ownership of an idea from concept through implementation and evaluation. 

This is a structured, project-based internship intended to provide meaningful experiential learning rather than routine administrative support. 

General Function 

This internship is designed for students interested in careers in marketing, strategic communications, digital media, nonprofit advancement, higher education, public relations, or related fields. 

The intern will gain practical experience applying marketing and communications concepts to real-world alumni engagement initiatives while working closely with Alumni Relations, campus partners, student leaders, and alumni volunteers. 

The position provides an opportunity to develop a professional portfolio of work, including digital content, campaigns, storytelling, promotional materials, analytics reports, and a completed student-led project. 

Key Contributions 

The intern will: 

Strengthen alumni connection and visibility through strategic digital content and storytelling. 

Develop marketing and communications materials that promote alumni programs, events, and engagement opportunities. 

Support targeted outreach campaigns that encourage alumni participation and connection. 

Apply marketing and communications skills to major alumni events, including Homecoming, reunions, and regional gatherings. 

Track and evaluate digital and campaign engagement to identify opportunities for improvement. 

Develop reusable marketing resources, templates, and content assets that support future Alumni Relations initiatives. 

Complete a student-led alumni marketing or engagement project from concept through evaluation. 

Defined Projects 

Project 1: Digital Content & Alumni Storytelling 

Goal 

Strengthen alumni connection and visibility through compelling, authentic, and strategic digital storytelling. 

Deliverables 

Develop monthly social media content calendars for Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn in alignment with Alumni Relations priorities. 

Create approximately 2–3 alumni, student-alumni, or alumni engagement stories per month through written, graphic, photographic, or video content. 

Create original digital content, including graphics, captions, short-form video, testimonials, and other multimedia. 

Develop content that highlights alumni accomplishments, student-alumni connections, alumni experiences, and opportunities to engage with the College. 

Monthly analytics reports Review monthly engagement data and prepare brief summaries identifying trends, successful content, and opportunities for improvement. 

Project 2: Alumni Campaign & Event Marketing 

Goal 

Apply marketing and communications strategies to promote alumni programs and events and strengthen participation before, during, and after the experience. 

Events within this project are intentionally connected to the internship's primary marketing and communications focus. The intern will not be responsible for independently managing events; rather, event experiences will provide opportunities to develop and apply marketing, communications, content creation, and audience engagement skills. 

Deliverables 

Support marketing and communications campaigns for selected alumni initiatives, such as Homecoming, reunions, regional gatherings, networking programs, Giving Days, and other engagement opportunities. 

Develop pre-event promotional content, including social media posts, digital graphics, email or text messaging content, and other communications materials. 

Participate in direct alumni outreach, including making phone calls to alumni for invitations, event reminders, follow-up, surveys, thank-yous, or other engagement campaigns. 

Assist with event-day content capture, including photography, video, social media coverage, alumni stories, and attendee engagement. 

Develop post-event content, including event recaps, photographs, testimonials, social media content, and other storytelling materials. 

Review participation and engagement data associated with selected campaigns and events and identify opportunities to strengthen future outreach. 

Skills Gained 

Campaign development, event marketing, audience engagement, project coordination, content creation, customer/client service, professional communication, and evaluation. 

Project 3: Marketing Analytics & Resources 

Goal 

Use engagement data and organized marketing resources to support assessment, planning, and continuous improvement within Alumni Relations. 

Deliverables 

Track social media and campaign engagement metrics, including reach, participation, and audience response. 

Prepare periodic marketing and engagement summaries that document outcomes and identify trends. 

Assist with organizing and maintaining a searchable library of alumni marketing assets, including photographs, videos, graphics, templates, and promotional materials. 

Develop reusable marketing resources, such as communication templates, content planning tools, campaign timelines, and promotional assets. 

Assist with year-over-year comparisons and other reporting used to evaluate alumni marketing and engagement efforts. 

Skills Gained 

Data analysis, research, information management, reporting, strategic thinking, technology, organization, and continuous improvement. 

Student-Led Alumni Marketing Project 

As part of the internship, the intern will develop and complete one original project designed to strengthen alumni connection, visibility, or participation. 

The project should apply skills developed through the three primary project areas and be completed with guidance and mentorship from the Director of Alumni Relations. 

Project Components 

Identify an opportunity or need related to alumni marketing or engagement. 

Develop a project proposal outlining goals, target audience, timeline, deliverables, and marketing strategy. 

Obtain supervisor approval and develop an implementation plan. 

Execute the project with appropriate staff support and campus collaboration. 

Evaluate project outcomes using participation, engagement, feedback, or other appropriate measures. 

Present a final reflection and summary of the project's outcomes and recommendations. 

Examples 

Potential projects may include: 

An alumni storytelling campaign 

An alumni spotlight series 

A student-alumni social media campaign 

A digital engagement activation 

A targeted alumni outreach campaign 

A creative marketing initiative connected to Homecoming or another alumni program 

A student-driven alumni networking or engagement promotion 

Skills Gained 

Leadership, creativity, project management, strategic thinking, communication, initiative, problem-solving, and professional presentation. 

Responsibilities 

The intern will: 

Work approximately 18 hours per week, with some evening and weekend participation required for selected events or programs. 

Create, schedule, and maintain digital content under the direction of the Director of Alumni Relations. 

Support marketing and communications for selected alumni events and engagement initiatives. 

Participate in event-day content and engagement activities when appropriate. 

Assist with alumni outreach campaigns and communications. 

Make outreach calls to alumni as assigned, including invitations, event reminders, follow-up, surveys, thank-yous, and other engagement communications. 

Track digital and campaign engagement data. 

Develop reports, presentations, and spreadsheets related to marketing and engagement outcomes. 

Maintain organized digital marketing assets and resources. 

Protect confidential information and demonstrate appropriate professional judgment when interacting with alumni, students, staff, and campus partners. 

Participate fully in required internship program activities, including performance evaluations, and the end-of-year internship showcase. 

Qualifications 

Strong written and verbal communication skills. 

Interest in marketing, strategic communications, digital media, higher education, nonprofit advancement, or alumni engagement. 

Organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple project deadlines. 

Proactive, dependable, creative, and collaborative. 

Familiarity with social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. 

Experience with Microsoft Office or Google Workspace. 

Comfortable communicating and interacting professionally with alumni, students, staff, and campus partners. 

Ability to receive feedback and apply it to improve work. 

Graphic design, photography, video editing, Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar experience preferred but not required. 

NACE Career Readiness Competencies Developed 

 This internship intentionally develops the following NACE Career Readiness Competencies: 

Career & Self-Development 

The intern will establish project goals, receive ongoing mentorship and feedback, participate in performance evaluations, reflect on professional growth, and develop transferable skills applicable to future careers. 

Communication 

The intern will strengthen written, verbal, visual, and digital communication skills through social media content, alumni storytelling, campaign messaging, professional correspondence, presentations, and interaction with alumni and campus partners. 

Critical Thinking 

The intern will analyze audience engagement, campaign performance, participation trends, and other available data to evaluate effectiveness, identify opportunities, and make informed recommendations. 

Equity & Inclusion 

The intern will contribute to inclusive alumni storytelling and communications that reflect the diversity of the Whittier College community and help create meaningful opportunities for alumni to feel connected and represented. 

Leadership 

The intern will develop leadership skills through project ownership, independent decision-making, initiative development, and completion of a student-led alumni marketing or engagement project. 

Professionalism 

The intern will develop professionalism through accountability, time management, meeting deadlines, confidentiality, responsiveness, professional communication, and interaction with alumni and campus stakeholders. 

Teamwork 

The intern will collaborate with Alumni Relations, campus partners, student leaders, alumni volunteers, and other members of the College community to develop and implement marketing and engagement initiatives. 

Technology 

The intern will gain hands-on experience using social media platforms, analytics tools, digital communication systems, Canva and/or Adobe design tools, Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, and other technologies used to develop, distribute, and evaluate digital content.