I’m a real cowboy now!
My name is David Michelin, age 23, and I have a passion for all things horse. I currently study advertising with a copywriting concentration at Temple University and worked as the Assistant Trainer at George School Equestrian Center. Serving as the President of the Temple University Equestrian team for more than six consecutive semesters was a highlight of my college experience. After graduation, I plan to continue my career path as a professional horseman, and I hope to freelance in advertising and media for the equestrian industry. Juggling a full-time job and 17 credits during your last semester at Temple can be a major challenge, but I was fortunate enough to turn this internship experience into a full-time job after graduation.
The organization I interned with is a private Quaker (Society of Friends) boarding and day high school in Newtown, PA. My internship began as the Social Media Director for the equestrian center. I would compare the experience I had, creating content for a high school, to an experience working for an in-house agency. The job entailed creating a weekly media plan and content to post on Facebook and Instagram accounts. I also created media plans and advertising campaigns for programs like the high school Varsity Equestrian team, Equestrian Summer Camp, Learn to Ride, and community lessons. I managed the overall brand and social media content with guidance from the Program Director at the Equestrian Center. For media and advertising content targeted to larger audiences, I received guidance from the Business Office at the George School.
Creating an advertising campaign for the Equestrian Center’s summer programs was the biggest project I took on this semester. The goal of this campaign was to promote a horseback riding summer camp on George School Equestrian Center’s social media platforms using boosted or promoted postings. The target audience was parents who lived in or around Newtown, PA. This campaign used fun, playful imagery to attract parents to learn more about horseback riding. The Facebook posts highlighted specific parts of the camp offerings like field trips and competition experiences. All of the posts had a shortened bit.ly hyperlink to lead directly to online camp registration. I had help from both my director and the business office, and the equestrian center saw an increase in camper registration!
After starting my internship, I gained my full-time position as the Assistant Trainer! My internship workload did not increase, but my time at the barn certainly has. I am determined to finish my advertising degree, but I know my passion is horseback riding. I am extremely grateful to have this opportunity fall into my lap. It combines my love for horses and teaching with the advertising skills I developed at Temple. I’m a real cowboy now!
