By: Jasmine Ho
For Sydney Davidson, the Master of Public Relations Internship Program has turned classroom learning into hands-on experience—and given her the confidence to take the next step in her career.
Originally from rural Nova Scotia, Sydney Davidson’s post-secondary journey began at Nova Scotia Community College’s (NSCC) Truro Campus, where she enrolled in the Diploma of Business Administration program with the intention of pursuing accounting. However, not long after starting the program, another concentration captured her interest.
“When I got to NSCC and did marketing classes, [I thought], ‘Oh, this is really fun! I really want to do this.’”
Sydney went on to complete a Diploma of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing, later continuing her studies at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) through the 2+2 pathway. This allows eligible NSCC diploma graduates to transfer credits toward a related undergraduate degree program. Sydney completed a Bachelor of Business Administration with honours, a major in marketing and a minor in management.
While studying at MSVU, Sydney discovered the Master of Public Relations (MPR), an applied graduate program that offered an opportunity to build on her educational background and develop new skills in communications.
“I realized there’s a Master of Public Relations, and so I thought it was a very seamless transition into this program, already being an MSVU student, which made this an easy decision.”
Launched in 2006, MSVU’s MPR prepares students for professional careers in public relations through applied learning, including case studies and community service learning. In 2026, the program introduced a new optional internship opportunity, giving students the chance to gain professional experience while completing an elective credit toward their degree.
For Sydney, the timing was ideal.
Although she already had a strong foundation of work experience, much of it had been in Truro, and she was looking to relocate to Halifax. The internship offered an opportunity to gain experience in a new professional environment while applying the marketing and communications skills she had developed through her studies.
Sydney secured an internship position with Build Nova Scotia’s Marketing and Communications Department as a Junior Marketing and Communications Officer.
Learning from experienced professionals
At Build Nova Scotia, Sydney quickly became an active contributor to the team. With support from experienced communications professionals, she was encouraged to pursue her interests, take on meaningful projects, and build her professional portfolio.
“Build Nova Scotia was incredibly great. [The team was] full of great people and [they were] very dedicated to helping students,” she says. “They allowed me to take on some big projects and leads to grow my portfolio as an aspiring marketing and communications professional.”
One domain Sydney was particularly eager to cultivate was developing digital and social media content. She investigated ways to increase engagement with the organization’s internal newsletter and explored how newsletter content could also inform social media posts.
She also drew on previous experience creating short-form video content, further developing her photography, video-editing and social media skills during the internship.
One of her most hands-on projects was spearheading the “Day in the Life” social media series featuring summer students working as Property Attendants, Waterfront Ambassadors, and Marina Attendants. Sydney was given creative control over the project, including developing scripts and editing the videos.
The experience allowed Sydney to combine her existing skills with what she had learned through her MPR studies—and gave her the opportunity to see her ideas move from concept to published content.
Connecting the classroom to the workplace
Sydney found that her MSVU coursework prepared her well for the realities of the internship. In particular, her Digital Media Communications Management course helped her understand the strategy and planning behind social media content.
The course introduced Sydney to various social media platforms and explored how organizations can use them to connect with audiences. Creating social media calendar content in the classroom also gave Sydney an understanding of the planning involved, which prepared her for similar responsibilities in the workplace.
Sydney’s work term project in the MPR internship further strengthened the connection between academic learning and professional practice by giving her the opportunity to share and reflect on her experience with her peers and her faculty advisor, and to articulate how she applied her learning in the workplace.
Building confidence for the next step
As Sydney prepares to pursue full-time opportunities in marketing and communications, she says the internship has given her more than practical experience. It has also given her confidence in the skills she brings to the workplace.
“Luckily, what I’ve done and what I’ve seen is that with the roles and responsibilities I’ve done in my position, it’s very similar to [the positions] that I can apply for after I graduate,” she says. “I feel like this [internship] experience really benefited me [by making me] feel comfortable and confident to apply to these jobs and say, ‘I am qualified because I have this experience.’”
For Sydney, earning academic credit while gaining professional experience was another major advantage of the internship program. It made the decision to apply for the internship option a “no-brainer” for her. Balancing school and work separately can be very difficult, so finding an option that allowed her to work while counting towards her degree requirements was a great opportunity.
Ultimately, Sydney views the MPR internship as an important bridge between university and her career—one that allowed her to build her portfolio, strengthen her skills, make professional connections, and gain confidence in the career path she has chosen.
Her advice to other MPR students considering the internship opportunity is simple:
“I would say that they should do it! I really enjoyed the MPR internship program in the summer. It opened up great opportunities for me to apply my skills and interests [in the workplace].”
For Sydney, the work term has provided something every aspiring professional can benefit from: the opportunity to learn by doing—and to leave the classroom prepared for what comes next.