Once upon a time, there was a poet who traveled to the Czech Republic…

Hello! My name is Mack. You may have seen a few of my blog posts or seen me in videos and posts from Cumorah Academy. That’s because, for the spring semester of 2024, I have been working at Cumorah Academy as a Content Creator Intern.

Sadly, that time has come to an end. The semester is rapidly coming to a close, and I am getting ready to finish my internship and head home.

I am an avid reader, and as such am familiar with finishing books. I’ve had a few books that I cried at the end of, not because the book itself was sad, but because I was sad the book ended.

This feels like one of those times. I’m happy to go home, and excited to see what the next chapter of my life has in store for me, but it is bittersweet to leave Cumorah. This has been an amazing internship and opportunity.

Before I officially leave, I was asked to make a “goodbye” post and talk about the internship. So, before this chapter ends let’s talk about that.

Getting the Internship

In the fall semester of 2023, I felt like I should take an entrepreneurship class. Now, I am a marketing and communications major. Entrepreneurship wasn’t a class I needed, but I signed up anyway and figured I could just drop it if it wasn’t the right fit.

A couple of weeks into the semester this girl came to that class. She excitedly told us that she had spent the semester in the Czech Republic teaching a business class to some international students at Cumorah Academy. She announced that Cumorah Academy was looking for more interns and urged us to apply.

There wasn’t a whole lot I actually understood from her announcement. What’s Cumorah Academy? Where is this again? Teaching what? Even though I didn’t understand half of what she was talking about, I felt like I needed to apply. I applied that night (even though my major was not business) and prayed I’d get in!

Later I had my first interview, and the interviewer said, “You seem like a marketer, not a business teacher.” Before I could open my mouth to say that even though I wasn’t a business major I could still teach and I really wanted to go, she said, “We just opened up a marketing position.”

My jaw dropped. I was hired. The rest is history.

I feel like this internship just landed in my lap. It was inspiration that led me to take that entrepreneurship class. It was inspiration that led me to come to Cumorah. This internship has been so good. I’ve learned and grown a lot. I’ve had a lot of fun. It’s been awesome.

What does my job look like?

As the Content Creator, I work closely with the Photographer/Videographer to create content for Cumorah Academy. I make social media posts, come up with video ideas, and write blogs.

One of my favorite responsibilities as the Content Creator is interviewing the mentors. Every week new mentors come to Cumorah. They stay all week, teach leadership classes, meet with the students individually, and hang out here at Cumorah. 

Every week Cumorah does a social media post on Facebook and Instagram, a video about the mentors on YouTube and TikTok, and a blog about the mentors. You can see some examples of that here and here. (INSERT LINKS HERE.)  Part of my job is interviewing the mentors so we have content for all of that.

The mentors are always awesome! They are typically a married couple who have had life experience and have leadership skills. Out of all the internships Cumorah offers, I think mine is the best because I get to meet with the mentors a lot throughout the week. Not only has it helped my network to grow, but I have also learned some amazing lessons and had wonderful chats with my mentors. They have invaluable knowledge and advice.

Favorite Content

If I had to pick some of my favorite content pieces that I helped create this semester they would be:

• The House Cup video.
• My journal video.
• A Beginner’s Guide to Cumorah Academy blog.
• Terezín blog.

Creating content and coming up with video ideas was very fun.

What will I take away of this internship?

Oh! So many things!

I learned so much! I have studied marketing for four years in college. It was fun to put what I’ve been studying into real life and use it in a job. The internship made it easy to see what I like most about marketing and helped me realize that I chose a good field. The marketing team is a joy to work with. Everyone was so kind and I was happy to work with them.

There was a lot of personal growth too. I’ve never been outside of the USA before. International travel is new to me and there was a bit of a culture shock. I felt more empathy towards other cultures and countries during this internship. I got to travel to a lot of places. This semester I went to Rome, Germany, London, Prague, and Český Krumlov. I discovered that I like traveling and want to travel the world.

I fell in love with canola fields, the green rolling hills, and the beautiful Czech countryside. Also, I am grateful for Cumorah Academy’s mission and want to stay involved with Cumorah. I’ve made a lot of friends, had a lot of wonderful memories, and became someone better than who I was before this internship.

I will forever be grateful for this summer I spent in the Czech Republic.

Goodbye!

I want to thank everyone who gave me this opportunity.  I also want to thank the staff, students, and people here at Cumorah who have made this place so special for me. This may sound cliché, but this internship changed my life.

I needed to come to Cumorah.

If you are looking into coming to Cumorah Academy as a student, intern, or mentor- DO IT! It’s an amazing experience and you won’t regret it.

To end this goodbye post I would like to share a poem I wrote about Cumorah.

Cumorah Calls

Cumorah beckons, a call so bright

For hearts yearning for truth and light

With Czechia’s embrace, you’ll meet

A semester of growth, if you seek

In the beautiful Czech countryside

Cumorah Academy there abides

Through fields of canola and orchards of green

A haven of peace, one’s potential seen

Where students gather from around the world

United by faith, a purpose unfurled

To learn, to teach, to serve, to play

Together we grow each passing day

Here at Cumorah, the purpose is clear

Cumorah’s mission is one we hold dear

To walk with Christ, a guiding light

Embrace His teachings with all our might

Lives, careers, homes, and communities too

Positively impacted by the things you do

This noble pursuit, a flame to ignite

At Cumorah Academy,  your future takes flight.