By Rajmund Dabrowski
Katie Morrison’s letter asking whether the RMC offered internship opportunities in communication indicated more than just an interest in spending 10 summer weeks in a professional, work-related environment. Katie knew exactly why she wanted to work in Colorado. She wrote: “Being able to work with the Rocky Mountain Conference in any capacity, would be an amazing learning experience.” She wanted to have “the opportunity to grow as an individual, and develop skills in every area possible.” And she wanted to be close to her family, too. Her dad, Wayne Morrison, is a pastor in Brighton, north of Denver, and just 28 miles away from the RMC office.
She came—and she conquered. August 6, 2015 was her last day with our team. As part of her responsibilities, Katie did news writing, and plenty of it, including 20 major stories. She also edited the NewsNuggets, prepared items for Mountain Views, assisted the conference with social media and related online tasks, and helped market various aspects of our communication programs.
As someone who has been a communication intern in my professional past, I was delighted to have an intern who could be trusted with a variety of tasks, and to witness the talents, skills, and work ethic for which we will remember Katie with fondness. Her internship included assisting with news development at the General Conference Session in San Antonio, TX—and it was of particular benefit to the North American Division, and the Mid-America Union Conference’s news coverage to have a Millennial’s frank appraisal of what was said and done.
“Katie has brought energy and an ability to help all of us look at things through different glasses. Her articles for publication always provided a different slant than we are used to,” commented Ed Barnett, RMC president. “She uses different words since she sees things through the eyes of a twenty-one year old.”
From San Antonio, Katie’s articles from the General Conference Session were shared with the church around the globe. “It was pleasing to hear our North American Division communication director comment that ‘we will keep our eyes on you when you are ready to graduate from Union College.’ We watched a young college student come into her own this summer. Personally, I want to thank Katie for a job well done,” Barnett said.
On her last day at the office, Katie reminisced: “I remember how I felt at the beginning of the summer, nervous and unsure of how I would fit in, and now that I’ve reached my last day, I can’t imagine not coming into the office tomorrow and seeing the people who have taught me so much these last 10 weeks.”
“My summer, which looked so dismal and boring in May, turned out to be one of the most impactful experiences of my life and I couldn’t be more grateful for what I’ve learned and the people who taught me,” she added.
Katie’s immediate plans are to spend a year learning Italian at Istituto Avventista di Cultura Biblica Villa Aurora in Florence, Italy. She will return to Union College next year to complete her B.S. in Business (Marketing) with a minor in Communication.
Viaggi sicuri, Katie—and thank you. You are missed.
—Rajmund Dabrowski is RMC communication director.