Summer Internships: Eric Gerdes
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Author: Todd Jenks, Communication Studies faculty emeritus and alumni coordinator and Katrina Kindred Smith, Communication Studies Admin Assistant II
Summer is here and with that brings warm thoughts of cookouts, swimming, spending time with family and friends, and, for students… summer internships! The Communication Studies Program encourages every student to complete an internship. Having an internship provides you with hands-on experience that is highly applicable and appealing when you’re applying for a job post-graduation.
Recently graduated Communication Studies alumni, Eric Gerdes (December 2025), was busy his senior year serving as an ISU Student Government LAS Senator, Vice President of Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society, and finishing up his classes at Iowa State University. But for a moment, let’s travel back in time with Eric, to last summer, when Eric had not one but two meaningful internships! Read on to learn more!
Eric’s first internship: Social Media & Events Specialist – Pocahontas, Iowa!
Eric’s first internship was working as a social media and event specialist for the Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce. For this position, Eric managed the community’s social media pages throughout the summer. Eric spoke to us about the work he did and the impact that he had. Eric said, “The chamber’s main role is to promote the businesses of the town, so I created a lot of promotional material for as many businesses as I could. On the social media side, I introduced new campaigns like Board Member Spotlights and Main Street Monday reels, which quickly became audience favorites.” Due to Eric’s communication expertise, the city’s social media saw a big boost in followership and engagement!
Iowa State places a strong emphasis on innovation – thinking and acting in new and creative ways. This is also what we teach in Communication Studies, as we apply innovation to our acts of communication. We like to say, “At Iowa State, we even innovate how we communicate!” Eric’s implementation of creative communication was exactly what was needed by the Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce. This creativity was on full display in the centerpiece of Eric’s internship work: a special Pocahontas documentary.
Eric tells us, “My proudest project was producing a one-hour documentary celebrating Pocahontas’s 155th anniversary. Completed in just 2 weeks, the film was the most ambitious video project I’ve ever created. It pushed me to grow as both an editor and filmmaker. Me and Chamber Executive Director Parker Aden interviewed fourteen community members to tell their stories of Pocahontas. This documentary was a celebration of the history, memories, and traditions of Pocahontas, Iowa. I completed my documentary just in time for Pocahontas’s 155th celebration weekend!”
Those who have been to or through Pocahontas may remember that the town is known for a giant statue of Pocahontas – 25 feet tall! This statue is a prominent symbol of this special community. Not surprisingly, Eric’s documentary is now a symbol of this town as well. Eric tells us, “The film is titled Poky, which is the nickname of the town of Pocahontas. This movie premiered at the Rialto Theatre for a packed auditorium and played throughout the rest of the week. About 200 community members watched the film and the reception was great! It was a great feeling having something I spent so much time on having the warm reception it did.”
Would you like to see the video that spotlights the community of Pocahontas? Would you like to view this highlight of Eric’s internship work for the Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce? Here is the video link: Pochantas 155 Documentary.
Eric’s second internship: Manager of Social Media & Promotion for an Iowa County
Eric did not have to travel far for his second internship, as it was also in Pocahontas! For this internship, Eric was working for the Pocahontas County Economic Development Commission (PCEDC). This position for the commission involved managing social media and promoting Pocahontas County attractions and town celebrations. Eric tells us that in his role for the commission, he “encouraged new county business owners to apply for the grant opportunities offered by PCEDC.” In addition, Eric tried to increase awareness of the commission’s work, which he did with success, telling us, “Many of my photos and event coverage were also published in the local newspaper!”
As Eric elaborated on his internship for us, he told us that in this second summer internship, just like in his first one, he applied the communication innovation skills he acquired in the Communication Studies Program. Eric explains, “I created a short video showcasing the county’s life-sized kaleidoscope project to encourage tourism. In the 2024-2025 year, the county installed 11 life-sized kaleidoscopes to boost tourism and to honor a Pocahontas native, Leonard Olson, who passed away in 2019. In Leonard’s later years he opened a kaleidoscope factory in Pocahontas that gained state-wide recognition! Each kaleidoscope has a unique design related to the communities they reside in.” Eric’s video provides a colorful cinematic journey that vividly bring the story of these kaleidoscopes to life right before your eyes.
Click here to watch Eric’s video: Kaleidoscopes of Pocahontas County.
Applying Communication Studies skills through an internship
We asked Eric to reflect on his dual internships, the summer spent in Pocahontas, and the opportunity to apply the communication skills he has learned in the Communication Studies Program. Eric sagely stated, “Both internships pushed me to break new ground with my projects, to strengthen my event planning and storytelling skills, and to connect with community members who care deeply about their community.” In his dual internships, Eric used his communication competencies to foster and strengthen relationships. Eric tells us that these relationships were at the heart of his work and are the key to what made his internships so meaningful and special. Eric also informed us that his internships provided many valuable lessons in communication, closing by saying, “I’m eager to apply these lessons that I have learned through my classes and internships at ISU in the work that I’m going to do now after graduation.”
Thank you to Eric – And encouragement to ALL students to schedule an internship!
We would like to thank Eric Gerdes for taking the time to talk to us about what he learned from his two internships. You really are an inspiration to others, Eric! We are lucky to have had you in the Communication Studies Program, and we wish you the best in the next chapters of your life! To each of our current students, you don’t have to do double duty like Eric did, but we do strongly encourage you to find and complete an internship. Eric’s work shows you how an internship can greatly benefit you. During an internship, you will apply what you are learning in our courses and will achieve real workplace communication experience, to prepare you for your future career.