The purpose of these In-Depth Intern Spotlights is to take a moment and explore what it means to be an authentic individual within students’ roles as interns in the Greensboro community. We hope you enjoy and take a chance to get to know one of our 2021 Campus Greensboro Fellows. Andrew Council is a recent UNCG 21′ Grad who majored in Communication studies who has spent his 2021 Campus Greensboro Fellowship being the Marketing Intern at ITG Brands.
Learn more about Andrew’s story and who he is beyond the Campus Greensboro Fellows Program and intern below.
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Reflect on someone or something that has inspired you
My aunt really inspires me because she’s a retired police chief and also an entrepreneur. She started her own organization right around the height of Black Lives Matter and police brutality issues coming to light. She was a light and a beacon to a lot of minority communities. Her organization taught adults, kids, and families alike on how to get home safely after engaging with law-enforcement. Her model is “comply and then complain.” I was so inspired by watching her get all of it together and then impact so many people’s lives. I can truthfully say that there are so many people within the community that are alive because of my aunt . She has proven to be her true self both professionally and personally and I admire that she takes all of her identities into each room she’s in— I think about her as motivation all the time.
Share an accomplishment you are proud of
I am genuinely proud of where I am . I know a lot of people can say that but, my lens behind saying this is that where I am right now with all of the luck and hard work is somewhere I dreamed to be in the past .
As a young Black professional We can often say “we are living out our ancestors wildest dreams,” but this was also a place I wanted to be at one point and now I’m here so I am proud of myself and the development that I have gone through to be here.
Reflect on a time you questioned or challenged a belief
Previously, I worked at Hope Academy as a tutor . I was paired with a young black boy and while we worked together very well to achieve his academic goals—I noticed some interesting expressions of emotions. I gathered my courage and spoke up about alternative emotional expression and encouraged different outlets . I ended up speaking directly with other tutors about brainstorming different responses and solutions dealing with behavior management. I spoke with the boy himself about how there are no bad kids and we can always work on expressing ourselves in authentic constructive ways in the future. It was a hard decision to speak up but I knew we all would benefit from the discussion.
What are some of the shows you’re watching ? Why do you like them?
I’m currently watching ‘Midnight Gospel’ on Netflix. It’s an adult animated video podcast. It’s so interesting and provokes a lot of deeper thoughtfulness. Manifest on Netflix is another show I’m watching. This one is just for entertainment. It’s about a plane crash. I like it. Lastly , I’m watching Love victor on Hulu. I like to watch this simply because you can get in touch with some really emotional parts without having to be emotionally exhausted yourself.
As a Fellow, intern, and resident of Greensboro, what are some of the things you hope for the future?
Three things that I would want for Greensboro would include,
More professional opportunities for entry-level position seeking professionals.
An increase in safe, fun, and engaging events & programming for college students during the Summer,
And lastly, an increase of city-wide mental health resources, training, courses to educate the population about how to find help when it’s needed, and to reduce the negative stigma surrounding this topic.
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