Adelaide University Internship Experience - Erin Donaldson

Erin is currently in her final year studying a Bachelor of Creative Arts majoring in Digital Media and Journalism, where she is building her skills in storytelling, content creation, and digital communication. 

Over the last few years she has lived and worked in Canada, Japan and New Zealand, gaining valuable global experience across a variety of roles including front desk reception, corporate hospitality, and event coordination. These diverse experiences have shaped her into an organised, adaptable, and personable professional with strong interpersonal and teamwork skills. 

Through her internship at Connecting Up and Infoxchange, Erin looks forward to gaining hands-on experience supporting community programs and events while further developing her digital marketing, visual communication and content creation skills. With a strong interest in local initiatives and cultural diversity, she aims to bring creative ideas, strategic thinking, and a global perspective to her work. 

Looking ahead, Erin plans to build a career that combines community engagement, digital communication, and creative storytelling within purpose-driven organisations. She aspires to work in roles that strengthen community connections, support inclusive initiatives, and use digital media as a tool for positive social impact within the non-for-profit sector.

24 March - Engaging with stakeholders

During Week 5, Erin worked towards publishing an article promoting the City of Marion’s Many Cultures, One Earth event. She liaised with the Media and Marketing team to obtain permission and gather relevant information, which she then used to develop an article for community members to read and use as a guide for the event.

This experience strengthened Erin’s professional communication skills, particularly in engaging with local government stakeholders, as well as her ability to source information and present it in an engaging manner. She also extended the article’s reach by posting it across social media platforms, developing her skills in digital communication and audience engagement.

Intern Erin Donaldson with Volunteer Flavia

17 March - First publication

By the fourth week of her internship, Erin had successfully written and published her first two articles, Closing the Gap Day 2026 and April Community Events 2026. With guidance from fellow volunteer Flavia, she developed an understanding of SAcommunity’s established writing style for event articles and gained proficiency in navigating the platform and publishing content effectively.

10 March - International Women's Day Lunch 

Erin was invited to attend an International Women's Day staff lunch put on by ConnectingUp to celebrate and recognise the contributions women make to the organisation around Australia and New Zealand. During the get together, Head of ConnectingUp, Pankaj Chhalotre shared a few words about how the company strives for gender fairness in the workplace and the important work women do to keep the organisation thriving, inclusive, and impactful across the communities it serves.

Intern Grace, Volunteer David Webb, Volunteer Alexander Bull, Intern Erin Donaldson

4 March  - Telephone Techniques Training

Erin undertook telephone techniques training run by volunteer David who gave in in-depth explanation and demonstration of how to engage in successful professional verbal communication. These skills will support Erin's communication when contacting organisations while researching and writing future community blogs.

Training, Professional Development and Networking

This page reflects the author’s personal experience as an intern.