07/17/2026
When Emma Posey (Individualized Major in communication, political science, and social change) was scrolling through her LinkedIn feed during the fall semester of her sophomore year at UofL, she never expected that one click would change the trajectory of her summer.
She saw a post from Team Kentucky’s Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet advertising its summer internship program and decided to apply.
Shortly after, Team Kentucky contacted Posey, hosted her for an interview, and offered her the role. Posey quickly accepted and spent that summer as the Social Media Intern for Team Kentucky’s Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet. She managed the cabinet’s Instagram and Facebook accounts while creating stories and reels to boost follower engagement. Posey was also tasked with photography duties, which she admits were intimidating when a professional camera was handed to her with no prior experience. However, she knew that adding this to her resume would exemplify her problem-solving skills and adaptability. “I think it made me realize that a lot of the job market right now is not what you studied in school or what you’ve previously experienced. It’s what you’re willing to learn and what you’re dedicated to doing.”
The camera quickly became an extension of Posey herself, as she photographed popular tourist destinations as well as action shots of events. In fact, one of her favorite memories as an intern was the day she not only got to photograph but also meet Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
“I got to photograph him at our annual tourism announcement, and that was where he announced that we had broken the previous records from the year before. After the event, I got to go up to him and introduce myself and take a picture,” she said with a smile. “It was very cool.”