My Ode To EPIC

In just a few short weeks, my days as an EPIC intern will be over.

Well, actually, by the time this is published I will probably be off on my next adventure: college. I was very fortunate to be a part of the EPIC team for the past year, and I am forever grateful for all of the knowledge I have gained from this internship.

I was pleasantly surprised that—even though I was working here as a senior in high school—everyone here treated me as an equal. When I first got this internship, I expected to be the typical intern you see in TV shows or movies: grabbing coffee for people, running errands, and just doing busy work. I look back and giggle at myself for thinking this because I did the exact opposite.

Here’s a short list of things that I’ve done (and bragged about to my friends) while I’ve been here:

     ■   Written press releases that I’ve seen out in the real world
     ■   Helped run the social media accounts of several clients
     ■   Created content for a TikTok account for a well-known company

And a whole lot more!

Not only have I learned a lot about the advertising industry, but I’ve learned a lot about what I should expect in the real world after college. There are so many things to look forward to … I can’t wait to have a mortgage, buy my own groceries, and schedule my own appointments. (Really!) Adulting just sounds so incredibly fun!

So, it’s started to set in that I will be moving away and need to be fully independent in about three weeks. Am I nervous? Of course I am. But I know that once I settle in I will have the time of my life. Working at EPIC has helped me a TON in preparing for this transition. It’s comforting to know that all of my coworkers have already gone through this transition and survived. In fact, many of them have told me that their college years were the best years of their life.

Speaking of my coworkers, I want to give my final kudos to each and every one of them. If you couldn’t tell, everyone at EPIC will forever hold a special place in my heart. The culture here is absolutely amazing. Everyone is so supportive of each other and will always be there for you. I can tell you with 100% certainty that this is the best job I’ve ever had, and a lot of that has to do with the people I work with.

Now I can’t title this “An Ode to EPIC” if there isn’t an actual ode in it … so here we go! (DISCLAIMER: I haven’t written an ode since 4th grade, so please take your literary standards and lower them.)

Ode to EPIC

EPIC, you will forever hold a place in my heart;
I don’t know what I will do when I am no longer a part.
I am so grateful that I had this opportunity;
I could not ask for a better work community.
The culture of this place will always be the best
And I am not afraid to put that to the test.
EPIC, please don’t get sick of me
Because I will be back before you can say “yippee!”

So thank you EPIC for all you do;
You have prepared me for my college debut.
I cannot thank you enough;
This goodbye is going to be tough.

See? Not a very good poem. I used an example off of Google about an ode to a potato chip, so that might explain why.

Here’s my final farewell: (I say final as if this won’t be the first job I apply to when I graduate from college!) Thank you to everyone who has taught me something about this industry or just life in general; I feel much more confident in myself and my ability to be a functioning member of society.

Peace out, EPIC.
— Bri

Bri Martin is an agency intern for EPIC. She is a recent graduate of West Bend West High School and will be starting as a freshman at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in the fall.  When she is not busy with school and EPIC, she spends her time training as a competitive powerlifter.