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A Day in the Life of a Business Intelligence Communications Intern

August 11, 2025

By Alexa Meyer, Business Intelligence Digital Communications Intern

Throughout my admittedly short time as a Port employee, one phrase seems to keep sneaking its way back into my conversations: “Be a sponge.” When I first heard someone say those words at our intern orientation, I thought it was solid advice but also a bit of a no brainer. Isn’t that the point of being an intern — to apply yourself and hopefully pick up a few skills from the people you’re working with?

What I know now is that there is so much to “soak up” at the Port beyond what you’d typically expect out of an internship. Even just the unique experience of working out of an airport has given me countless opportunities to learn.  

Finding my place

The Airport Office Building (AOB) is nestled at the south end of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and really constitutes its own metropolis. Before joining the Port, I had no idea the AOB existed, but I couldn’t ask for a better home base. I love how light and airy the floor-to-ceiling windows make the entire space feel. Sweeping views of majestic Mount Rainier and the consistent cadence of planes taking off create a work environment with just a touch of wonder that I feel so grateful to have.

After I grab a coffee, I head to my cubicle — which isn’t complete until I unpack the essentials from my work bag. I unload my black notebook and my tri-color pen, generously given to me by the Port of Seattle Fire Department at an Employee Resource Group event. My water bottle is filled and ready, my coffee is within reach, and I am ready to take on the world through my laptop.

Embracing the unexpected in Business Intelligence

I must admit, during my time at the Port, my skills have been pushed in ways I could never have guessed. While I had a lot of experience with communications coming into this role, I had no experience with Business Intelligence (BI) in the slightest (I am the furthest thing from a numbers person, if you hadn’t gathered). Business Intelligence is all about turning data into insights that help teams make smarter decisions — and I’ve come to learn just how important that is for keeping a place as complex as the Port running smoothly.

While this was intimidating at first, the work I’ve done in developing content and communication strategy for BI has been incredibly creative and fun. Part of this has to do with just how versatile and wide-ranging my projects and, by proxy, days are. 

Some days are packed with meetings, informational interviews, and intern events. Other days are open seas — great for putting my head down and working through some of the various projects that I’ve been juggling. Either way, I start each day by reviewing my calendar and creating a list of tasks for the day. These could be anything from editing a soon-to-be published research report, working on the design for the BI newsletter template, or brainstorming content for the slide deck that constitutes one of the biggest projects of my internship. 

On Wednesdays, I have a one-on-one meeting with my manager, Michael Drollinger. We check in on the progress of the internship objectives I set back in June and discuss if there are new areas and ideas that have cropped up since then. It is fantastic to have a mentor who not only collaborates with my more tangible, work-focused goals, but also pushes me towards my personal goals as a developing professional. Whether it is connecting me with other individuals at the Port who have a career trajectory that interests me or brainstorming new projects that stretch my technical skills, Michael is ready to help me achieve everything I hope to with this position.

Seeing SEA differently

One of my favorite parts of my day is my daily lunchtime walk around the terminal. Usually around the time I eat lunch I begin to hit a wall and a walk around the terminal usually clears the brain fog right up. As a Seattle native, having this opportunity to get out and begin to understand the airport of my childhood in a different light has been fascinating.

For my entire life, SEA has just been a means to an end — a place I had to endure to get to where I really wanted to be. Now, getting out into the terminal is one of the highlights of my day. Sure, I occasionally almost get run over by frantic families rushing to catch a flight, but it’s worth it to walk by the live music, explore new restaurants, and take in the hub of humanity that wouldn’t ever cross paths if not for this airport. 

This summer has been a tremendous opportunity to soak up the knowledge and experience of everyone around me. My horizons have been broadened, not only in my understanding of my own capabilities but in my understanding of the larger world and my place in it. I know this growth is just beginning, and I am excited to continue “being a sponge” for the rest of my time at the Port.

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