Meet Cyreema Marshall - Another Intern Success Story

Elevate to Even+ • February 13, 2025

A woman wearing a black shirt and earrings is smiling for the camera.

As a freshman at Emory University, Newark's Cyreema Marshall was brimming with curiosity and ambition, ready to take her first steps into the professional world. Little did she know, Elevate+ would open doors she never imagined. "Ms. Amato at North Star Academy connected me with this incredible program, and I’m so grateful she did," Cyreema shared. Her decision to join Elevate+ became a defining step in her academic and professional journey.

As part of the program, Cyreema interned with two organizations over two summers: Discovery Orchestra and HTTV. At Discovery Orchestra, she served as an administrative intern, where her work entailed reorganizing YouTube videos, creating promotional material, and developing a database of featured music and musicians. Through her work there, she developed a keen understanding of organizational management.

Her second placement, with HTTV, had a profound influence on her career aspirations. Cyreema learned to storyboard, edit, and refine video content, mastering technical tools that would later prove invaluable in her career. "Being able to edit my own video with HTTV and see the final product made me realize that media production was something I wanted to pursue," she said. This hands-on experience not only honed her technical skills but also ignited a passion for storytelling through media.

The professional development resources offered by Elevate+ were equally transformative. "The speaker series was both informative and inspiring," Cyreema explained. So impressed by Cyreema's on-screen presence, Elevate+ invited her to host the Role Model Speaker Series, featuring chats with accomplished professionals in a variety of fields—work she was compensated to perform. "The sessions gave me the tools to navigate professional environments and equipped me with strategies to connect with mentors and peers. It helped me build confidence and master professional communication."

Reflecting on the challenges she overcame, Cyreema credits her Elevate+ internship experience with helping her gain confidence in her abilities and adapt to new professional settings. "It helped me gain experience working and mastering the basics of a professional environment, from communication to time management," she noted.

A key moment in Cyreema’s journey was the mentorship she received from Christine Thorsen at Discovery Orchestra, and from Elevate+ Trustee Beth Gottung, who happens to be the co-head of Montclair Folm. "Christine’s organizational insights and Beth’s creative vision gave me the confidence to combine technical expertise with storytelling—a balance that has shaped my career goals," she shared. Their guidance helped her navigate her internships and inspired her to take ownership of her professional growth.

Looking back, Cyreema believes Elevate+ played a pivotal role in her development. "I think Elevate+ has connected me with mentors and given me experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise," she emphasized. The program not only expanded her skill set but also opened doors to future opportunities.

Cyreema’s advice to future interns is simple but powerful: "Maintain connections through natural conversations and seize every opportunity to grow. Those relationships and experiences can shape your career path in unexpected ways."

Today, Cyreema continues to apply the skills she developed during her internships, particularly her expertise in media production. "My editing skills that I developed while at HTTV have already been useful in my academic and personal projects," she said.

She also credits her Elevate+ experience for helping her land an opportunity to work at the Cannes Film Festival the summer before her senior year. Her journey from editing videos in a New Jersey television studio to interning at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival demonstrates how Elevate+ empowers young people to know what they are capable of doing and achieve more. From community television in New Jersey to the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in France—an impressive progression!

Elevate+ helped Cyreema Marshall build confidence, develop technical expertise, and connect with inspiring mentors. Cyreema’s journey is a powerful reminder of the potential waiting to be unlocked in young professionals. With Elevate+, all it takes is one opportunity to transform ambition into achievement.

Internship: Discovery Orchestra, Summer 2022

HTTV, Summer 2023

Currently: Senior, Emory University

You can connect with Cyreema on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyreema-marshall-1b3949232/

Check out the impressive video Cyreema produced during her HTTV internship :

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Reflecting on a Summer of Growth, Confidence, and Contribution

By Andrew Walker • September 15, 2026

Every Elevate+ internship begins with an opportunity. By the end of the summer, that opportunity has often become something much more: greater confidence, practical skills, meaningful professional relationships, and work that makes a lasting difference. Feedback from our 2026 interns and host mentors confirms just how much was accomplished this summer. Thirty-four students completed our end-of-internship survey, while host organizations submitted 26 evaluations of their interns. Their responses tell a shared story of students rising to new challenges and nonprofit partners gaining talented, committed members of their teams. Students left more prepared for what comes next 94% rated their overall internship experience as excellent or good. 94% said the internship contributed substantially to their professional growth. 94% felt more confident entering the workforce. 91% felt more prepared for future internships or full-time employment. 94% expanded their professional networks. 97% felt welcomed and included at their internship sites. 97% rated their likelihood of recommending Elevate+ to another student an 8 or higher on a 10-point scale. Behind those numbers are students who discovered new strengths, clarified their career goals, and learned how to contribute in professional settings. “I don’t think that I would be half the adult I am today without the help of Elevate+ and Lyman Allyn,” Meggan shared after completing her third summer at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum. “I’ve become so much more confident and a way better communicator than I used to be.” Kamryn described the pride she felt in producing work with lasting value: “Developing three major deliverables that will continue to benefit the organization is something I’m incredibly proud of, and it showed me the impact thoughtful work can have.” For Danny, the experience helped bring his future into clearer focus. “I can’t even describe how much this has helped me in figuring out and solidifying what I want to do in the future,” he wrote. Other interns spoke about becoming more comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, taking initiative, setting boundaries, and trying unfamiliar things. Ritha reflected on one of the summer’s most important lessons: “Now, thanks to my internship, I know how to take initiative, work independently, learn, and be a leader, even when I make mistakes.”

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By Aguie Barrantes • July 8, 2026

Walking into a networking event alone is not exactly comfortable. I didn't know anyone, and I wasn't sure I belonged there. But somewhere between the first conversation and the second, that feeling changed. This summer, as the Marketing & Communications Intern at Elevate+ , I've learned that internships are about much more than completing projects. Managing and developing the Intern Spotlight posts, creating social media content, and building a content calendar and other marketing materials, including this blog post, have strengthened my organization, creativity, and communication skills. My biggest takeaway has been that building a personal brand starts before anyone is watching . Outside of Elevate+, one of my professors from Seton Hall introduced me to the opportunity to attend a two-day networking event at Next League. While I was nervous at first, I reminded myself that growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone . Connecting with students and professionals across the sports industry showed there isn't one path to success. Alongside Elevate+, I’ve also balanced two other part-time jobs with FC Motown and Momento. Whether it’s working long hours in the summer heat or adjusting to unexpected changes during a live event, I’ve learned that success comes from being adaptable and thinking on the fly. These experiences have shown me that the most valuable growth happens when you’re willing to step up and show up , regardless of the circumstances. Looking back on the first half of the summer, I’ve realized that my biggest growth hasn't come from checking projects off a list. It's come from putting myself in unfamiliar situations, asking questions, and embracing opportunities that once felt intimidating . As I head into the second half of the summer, my goal is to be more intentional about following up with the professionals I meet. I've had the opportunity to connect with many people, but I want those conversations to turn into meaningful, lasting relationships. Showing up is only the first step; following up is what makes a connection memorable .