Camp Reality.

After seven weeks here, I can tell you that there has never been a more fitting name for an internship program.

When I wrote my blog post after our first week interning, I thought I had been challenged. I thought the things I had learned the first week were what I would be doing for the remaining seven. Once again, I was wrong.

The thing about Camp Reality, and agency work in general, I’m told, is that you never know what you’re going to be doing when you come to work. I’ve done everything from public relations to content management, and I’ve dabbled in everything in between in the process. I have learned so much that I’m going to be able to take with me in future.

Coming from an intern, though, the “benefits” of this internship aren’t all that credible. In all honesty, the only real world experience I have has come from this program. So, with the help of some of my friends here at Stone Ward, I went on the hunt for a former intern that took their experience at Camp Reality and turned it into success in the real world.

Kelcey Towell, former Stone Ward Camp Reality intern.

Kelcey Towell is a Print and Motion Designer at Toky Branding + Design now, but got her start at Camp Reality. Kelcey was gracious enough to answer a few questions for me in regards to her time spent interning with Stone Ward. One of the most beneficial things Kelcey learned while in Camp Reality is the demand and pace of design.

“I think, as designers, we have these idyllic visions of a da Vinci or a Michelangelo sitting down at a desk, pondering and sketching for long leisurely hours until inspiration strikes us,” said Towell. “In this day and age, rarely do we ever have the opportunity to do such things.

“At Camp Reality, I was conditioned to make good design to meet the expectations of the client – at the mercy of the clock.”

Towell also took more than just her knowledge of design with her after Camp Reality.

“One of the overwhelming positives of Camp Reality was the opportunity to work with such kind, talented, and cool people,” said Towell. “Kindness and respect go a long way in the working world, and during my time at Stone Ward I had the opportunity to learn from the best.

“I was able to make good work, with good people, for good people. ‘Building good’ has stayed with me throughout my academic career and into my professional life as a designer.”

Towell only has one piece of advice for those considering Camp Reality for their internship: Get ready to work hard.

“This is not an internship where you sit idly by and make the occasional photocopy. Camp Reality will thrust you forward into the reality of the world of design and advertising. Prepare yourself to work hard, learn a lot, and have a lot of fun in the process.”

Given the opportunity to go back and do it all over again, Towell would absolutely relive her experience in the Camp Reality program here at Stone Ward.

“My experience at Stone Ward helped me solidify my decision to pursue graphic design and propelled me forward through my college curriculum and onward into graduate school,” said Towell. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Now that Camp Reality is almost over and I’m preparing to make the big leap into the working world, I feel more prepared than ever. I have learned from some of the best in the industry and have loved being a student every day at Stone Ward. In a way, this will always be like home for me.

I’ve been a part of an organization that saw me as an intern, but treated me as an equal. When I messed up, they helped me learn from it. I have been trusted (admittedly, more than deserved) with some daunting tasks and succeeded in more ways than one.

The friendly faces, the incredible talent, and the support the Stone Ward team shares have made this an unforgettable experience. Much like Kelcey, I look forward to continue “building good” wherever life takes me.