Balanced Internship Spotlight: Inside the Communications Team Experience

Introduction

Hello! I’m Alli English, a rising sophomore at Oregon State University studying Creative Writing. I have been vegan for seven years, and I have always cared about nutrition and how clear communication can help people make healthier choices. I also love to hike, read, and snowboard, and when I need to reset, I pick up my bass guitar.

This summer I spent 15 weeks as a Communications intern with Balanced. I came in with enthusiasm for public health and marketing, and I’m leaving with practical skills, a stronger professional voice, and a clearer sense of where I want to go next.

Why I Chose Balanced

I was first drawn to Balanced by their Focus on Fiber work. Fiber often gets less attention than it deserves, yet it affects how people feel every day. I appreciated that Balanced puts practical, evidence-informed ideas in front of families, schools, and communities. I also liked that they work to improve children’s health by supporting better school menus. That mix of education and systems change felt like the right place to learn.

I chose a Communications role because I enjoy marketing and wanted experience turning complex ideas into useful content. I knew the skills would transfer to many fields, including my own creative projects.

A Day In The Life

No two days were identical, but most followed a rhythm.

Morning publishing and community care. I usually started with a post on Threads and Bluesky, then jumped into comments and messages on TikTok. Community management taught me to listen, answer clearly, and highlight helpful resources without overwhelming people.

Content creation. My tasks rotated. On some days I filmed a TikTok showing a high-fiber recipe and wrote the script, captions, and on-screen text. On other days I edited interview clips with health professionals, cleaned up audio, added subtitles, and selected cover frames. I also drafted blog posts about fiber and even published one titled “If 97% of us are fiber deficient… why isn’t anyone talking about it?”

Coordination and review. I met with teammates to align on messaging. I checked the content calendar, reviewed feedback, and revised drafts to fit the voice and the goals of a given campaign.

Creative reset. And of course, around the midpoint of the day I took a short guitar break. That small pause made my edits sharper when I came back to the screen.

A Project I Loved

Short-form video became my favorite format. TikTok reaches people who might never read a long article, and it rewards clarity. I enjoyed watching which recipes resonated, learning from the comments, and seeing when someone saved a video to make the dish later. It felt good to turn nutrition guidance into something quick, friendly, and doable. My favorite video has to be the cucumber salad recipe. It performed very well and was just so fun to film!

A Challenge That Helped Me Grow

My biggest adjustment was learning to write in an organizational voice instead of my own personal voice. As a creative writing major, I am comfortable experimenting with tone. Professional communications require consistency, clarity, and a focus on audience needs. I learned to “read the room” and match the company tone on certain platforms (Threads, Bluesky, TikTok).

An Unexpected Skill

Collaboration became a real strength. I tend to work independently on school projects, and this internship showed me the upside of shared drafts and honest critiques. Working remotely added extra layers. I learned to communicate timelines, ask better questions, and offer help when a teammate was up against a deadline. Those habits will serve me anywhere.

Feedback That Stuck

One message came up often: stay consistent. Not every post will take off. Most will not. That is normal. What matters is showing up for the audience, delivering accurate and useful information, and keeping a steady rhythm so people know they can trust you. When I absorbed that lesson, I stopped worrying about individual metrics and focused on getting videos out there. 

Advice To Future Balanced Interns

Have fun with it. Communications is a creative field, and ideas grow when you experiment. Try new formats. Draft three headline options. Test different hooks. Ask for feedback early. Have fun making a TikTok video. 

Where I’m Headed Next

This internship confirmed that I want to keep building in marketing and communications. I want to keep writing, editing, and creating content that helps people make healthier choices. I also want to apply what I learned to my own creative writing and future book projects. 

Thank You

This was the best internship I could have asked for. Thank you to Chris, Stephanie, and Audrey for being generous with feedback and patient when I had questions. Thank you for trusting me with real projects, for welcoming my ideas, and for helping me grow both my skills and my confidence.

Want to Apply for a Communications Internship at Balanced?

If you’re excited to contribute your talents to mission-driven communications work, we’d love to hear from you!

Applying for a Balanced Internship is easy; simply email communications@balanced.org with your preferred start date, the skills you’re eager to bring to the team, and your résumé or CV attached.

Our team reviews applications on a rolling basis and will follow up with the next steps. The earlier you apply, the sooner you can start making a meaningful impact!