Flying High—A Reflection on My Internship at Piedmont Airlines
As an intern-hopeful, there’s always the fear in the back of your mind that you won’t get the chance to do anything besides grab coffee and organize paperwork. The good of all those doubts is that they motivate you to hit the ground running when the exciting opportunities do arrive.
Over the course of my internship at Piedmont Airlines, I have experienced those opportunities tenfold. Since day one, I have been not just an intern but a valued member of the Corporate Communications Department. The department’s span of care includes internal and external communications, social media, videography, graphic design, community and engagement, and marketing, which is the team I have had the pleasure of joining as the Marketing Intern.
I started at Piedmont during my senior year at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). As a Communication Studies major, marketing has always been an area of interest because of how much creativity it requires. Between campaign planning, message refinement, and campaign execution, there is never a dull moment, and to experience it all in a fast-paced industry like aviation was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
Culture Breeds Creativity
One thing that interns may take for granted is how much the culture of a company matters. When sending application after application into the void, it might seem easier to just take any job offer that comes your way. I can say with certainty that it is not. On my worst days, when commitments at school picked up or unexpected events occurred, the Piedmont team always looked out for me and cultivated an environment where I could create my best work.
The beauty of being an intern with a supportive team is that they want to see you succeed, meaning you get opportunities to try new things that you never expected you’d get to do. Within my first three months on the job, I was working on a script for a story-driven awareness commercial, bigger than any other commercial Piedmont has done before. At the same time, I was researching aviation marketing case studies to get inspiration for future campaigns which came in handy when I was tasked with marketing Piedmont’s presence at SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo, the 2nd largest aviation expo in the U.S.
Campaigns and Confidence
I designed the “Journeying Since 1931” campaign to bridge Piedmont’s longstanding aviation legacy with its forward trajectory using vintage visuals and messaging that pointed to Piedmont’s growth. Leading a large-scale project for the first time challenged the way I approached my work as I organized timelines for multiple items such as merchandise design, billboard planning, and content creation. I learned how to adapt to unexpected changes and foster collaboration that benefited the project through new perspectives and ideas.
It can be intimidating to delegate work to your coworkers as an intern, but those seasoned perspectives are the key to creating projects that build on the success of previous initiatives. When creating an internal marketing campaign aimed at highlighting the work team members contribute to Piedmont, I tasked all members of the Corporate Communications Department on the project with writing feature stories. Their unique voices brought the campaign to life with story ideas that resonated with the real people behind the operation.
Making My Mark
One of my favorite internship memories was visiting Piedmont’s headquarters in Salisbury, Maryland. It was exciting to see the heart of the operation and put faces to names and tasks that I had heard so much about. Just as exciting, I helped the corporate videographers conduct a photoshoot of Piedmont’s maintenance team members and starred in a photoshoot of my own.
I never thought I’d be able to say that I was the subject of a feature photo on a website, let alone as a representative of the rewarding experiences being a Piedmont intern provides. At Piedmont, I have been set up to make meaningful contributions to the organization. Without a team that constantly pushed me to take on new projects and thought of me for various opportunities, I would not have been able to grow as fast as I did and start my professional career off on the right foot.
Preparing for Takeoff
Looking ahead to my future, I know that my time as an intern at Piedmont Airlines will stick with me forever. Beyond work, I was encouraged to join skill building initiatives and networking programs that broadened my understanding of the professional world. I attended company-sponsored events like the Left, Right, Left 5K and the President’s Awards, and industry events like SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo and EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. I even went on site visits to new cities we were looking to advertise in.
An internship isn’t just about what tasks you complete or what projects you finish. It’s about saying yes to new opportunities that help you grow professionally and personally. As I continue my work on projects like the marketing for Piedmont’s upcoming Third Annual Left, Right, Left 5K in September, I am reminded of how success doesn’t just happen. It is built, little by little, through hard work, dedication, and a commitment to seeing things through.
Want to learn more about intern life at Piedmont Airlines? Explore our internship webpage or watch the video below to follow my experience as an intern at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026.
The Intern Life Series features firsthand stories from interns who are learning, contributing, and growing at Piedmont. Through their perspectives, readers gain an inside look at our culture, professional development opportunities, and the connections that make Piedmont a great place to start a career.