We welcome Melissa Gustafson and Max Nelson to our team from George Washington University! Read our interview below to learn more about them.
Three words you would use to describe yourself…
Melissa: Fun-loving, determined and mildly humorous (usually at my own expense)
Max: Articulate, passionate and playful
What are you most passionate or inspired by…
Melissa: I’m most passionate about the people around me. I would not be where I am today without the love and support of family and friends and am so blessed to be surrounded by people who encourage me to live life to the fullest. I am inspired by their strength of character and that has always encourgaed me to be the best version of myself.
Max: I’m most inspired by my grandfather, a naval engineer and father of four. He worked a full-time job by day and drove a taxi by night to give his sons a better life.
Why intern for CommCore…
Melissa: Because I am interested in a future in consulting and I believe that CommCore will give me the necessary tools to build useful skills.
Max: Learning a skill is like building a bridge, and building a bridge requires many steps. My communication skills have a strong foundation, forged by my past experiences. Yet, my bridge is far from finished. I believe CommCore, an industry leader in communications, will help teach me the tools I need to complete my bridge.
What’s your favorite social media channel…
Melissa: Facebook. . I didn’t get into social media until high school, in part because my parents are old school (I loved my flip phone — with only call and texting capabilities — all the way until college started), but also in part because I didn’t have a need for it at the time. I saw people who I would have been social media friends with on a relatively regular basis. However, as I got older, I spent increasingly more time away from my family in Singapore and social media — specifically Facebook, was the best way to stay in touch with them. We could “creep” on each other to see how the family was growing up and stay interconnected on a platform whose capabilities have grown since I became a member. It is not the same as being with them, but at least I get a constant flow of information from them that makes the distance easier.
Max: Instagram! I’m a visual person and love to express myself with pictures! Building a strong profile isn’t easy, but after a few years of practice I’ve managed to accumulate 1600 followers.
What do you hope to get involved with the most at CommmCore…
Melissa: While here, I hope to learn and get more involved with the process of acquring clients, as well as, learning more about communications since I have note taken as many courses in the subject. I firmly believe that communicating is a key part of any type of relationship or organizational success.
Max: I look forward to learning about crisis communications strategy in more detial from Andy and the entire CommCore team.