Saniya Alderson’s dual internships match her two current professional interests well: graphic design and the medical field.
Saniya spends half of her time at WDB Marketing, doing graphic design work and shadowing account managers. The other half is spent interacting with families in the waiting room of the surgery wing at Ingalls Hospital.
At the hospital, Saniya greets families, makes sure they’re comfortable in the waiting room as they wait for their loved one to come out of surgery, and communicates with the nurse’s station to provide updates to the families.
“Some days are calmer, but other days it’s a very serious surgery and people are very nervous,” Saniya said. “I’ve always liked helping people, and doing this has shown me that even more. I’m learning that it takes a lot to be there for someone when you’re needed.”
At WDB Marketing, Saniya is working on a sales catalog that will feature the company’s different products and services using a variety of design services like Adobe Photoshop and Canva Pro. She also has a front-row seat to witness the many steps a marketing project goes through before coming to life.
The coolest thing Saniya has done: At WDB Marketing, it’s the sales catalog she’ll have fully designed by the end of her internship. At Ingalls, it’s a relationship she struck up with a woman waiting over four hours for her husband’s surgery to be over. “She was really grateful for me helping her,” Saniya said.
The hardest thing about the internship: Whether working on a design project or trying to be hospitable with a nervous family, Saniya has learned about the importance of clear and compassionate communication.