[Clinton, N.C.] – Yasmin Alvarez is a junior at Clinton High School (CHS) who is also dual-enrolled at Sampson Community College (SCC) as part of the Career & College Promise (CCP) program. With a love for graphic design, Alvarez recently joined the SCC Marketing Team as a student intern, learning more about the profession while designing a variety of social media projects for the College.
Enrolling at SCC in Fall 2023, Alvarez mentioned that she had known about SCC and its offerings since middle school, but didn’t begin courses until her sophomore year. Though she’s not pursuing a specific degree, the courses Alvarez has taken through the CCP program have allowed her to earn college credit while still in high school.
In 2024, Alvarez was approached by Mrs. Venetia Mann, Marketing Teacher at CHS, about an internship opportunity in the Marketing Department at SCC. After encouraging her to apply and schedule an interview, Alvarez joined the SCC team weeks later and began designing Wednesdays on campus.
Alvarez mentioned that on her first day, she felt slightly nervous about working alongside adults as an intern. However, her shyness soon faded, and she’s now created numerous graphics, advertisements, videos, etc. for the College– including SCC’s ’12 Days of Courses’ Christmas promotion on social media in December.
Alvarez reflected, “My internship with SCC has been an amazing experience and a great way to increase my knowledge and experience in marketing. Working with people who have more experience than me is also a good way to learn and improve mistakes. I’ve had the opportunity to apply lessons that I learned in my marketing classes to real life experiences at SCC. This internship will forever have a mark in my life and future career path because I have learned so much and I hope to keep on learning.”
When asked who she’d like to thank, Alvarez voiced her appreciation to Brett Feight, Director of Marketing at SCC; Lisa Turlington, Dean of Advancement at SCC; and Mann at CHS. She explained that Feight has served as a mentor to her throughout her internship, teaching her many new things and allowing her to design campus advertisements. Similarly, Alvarez also thanked Turlington for the opportunity to intern at SCC, while also appreciating Mann for inspiring her to pursue a career in Marketing in the first place.
“Mrs. Brett Feight, my mentor, has been a huge help and great influence during my internship,” expressed Alvarez. “She has helped me with creating advertisements and ways to help make my work look professional. She has taught me the great impact of a brand and how even the slightest mistake can make a great difference to the brand. I also want to give a big thanks to Mrs. Lisa Turlington for giving me the opportunity to get this internship and being able to boost my knowledge.”
She continued, “But my biggest inspiration and someone who I will never stop thanking is Mrs. Venetia Mann. She is the person who got me into the marketing world. She has taught me to actually believe in myself and that my creativity will take me far into my future career. Thanks to her I have this internship, and I wouldn’t know what to do without her and her guidance.”
Planning to graduate from CHS in 2026, in the future, Alvarez hopes to attend a four-year college to major in Graphic Design. She also wishes to travel one day, learning about new cultures and traditions across the world.
As a whole, Alvarez stated that she would recommend SCC to other students looking to earn college credit while in high school. To Alvarez, the College has helped her grow both academically and personally in many ways. Her internship specifically, has not only taught her new marketing skills, but the importance of asking questions and stepping out of your comfort zone to pursue what you love.
“SCC offers so much to students,” she closed. “They offer a supportive environment and give help to those who need it. They take students into consideration and provide a variety of programs that help boost your knowledge and get you into a career you were made for. The staff at SCC are a welcoming community. SCC has taught me new things all while being full of great experiences. It’s given me great educational classes that will help me succeed in my future career, and so has my internship with SCC.”
SCC is very proud of Yasmin! The College is delighted to welcome her to the Marketing Department as an intern, and looks forward to seeing all she’ll do because of the education received at SCC.
For more information about Career & College Promise, visit sampsoncc.edu/ccp
About Sampson Community College: Sampson Community College is a member of the North Carolina Community College System, located in Clinton, NC in Sampson County. The college offers many programs to include two-year degrees, college transfer, continuing education and workforce development options and early college education. SCC is committed to the principles of equal educational and employment opportunities for all.
