Equipped with a digital camera and a passion for storytelling, communication studies student Ziya El ’24 is capturing the vibrant cultural scene of Oglethorpe’s home city of Brookhaven, Ga. as the first-ever intern at the tourism organization Explore Brookhaven.

El’s primary responsibility is blogging about restaurants, events and the unique locales of the city. Almost every day brings her somewhere new and exciting for her work, but she doesn’t just experience these places; she immerses herself in them, finding the unique angle that will resonate with Explore Brookhaven’s audience.

Recently, her internship brought her to the diverse Cultural Corridor along Buford Highway. There, she captured photos and spoke directly with shop owners about their businesses, which helped her create several blog posts about the unique restaurants and artwork on display.

“Ziya stood out to me because she came with examples of how her real-life work experience and her schooling would translate to what we do here at Explore Brookhaven,” says Marketing Manager Lizbeth Rangel. “We’ve been impressed with her at every turn.”

Her internship is helping her hone the skills that will set her apart in the competitive world of marketing and communications. Working in such an active role has exposed her to the different facets of the industry, from event management to content creation, and she’s eagerly absorbing every lesson along the way.

“Every field — no matter the subject — has something to do with communications,” says El. “This internship has introduced me to a lot of things like data analytics and the actual impact that social media marketing has on the company…I feel like that has really prepared me.”