This week in the Fortinet Intern Spotlight Series, we introduce Pablo Mena - a summer 2023 communications intern.
Mena hails from Del Rio, Texas, and graduated from Texas Tech with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Media Industries. Growing up, he had many different interests as he first wanted to be a veterinarian before switching to a more creative career with cinematography and media productions.
“I really loved animals and volunteered at a clinic growing up, but after I looked at the logistics of it all and how long it would take, I decided to do something else I loved,” Mena said. “Watching movies was one of my biggest hobbies and I just loved learning how they were made. I knew Texas Tech had a good media school, so I went there to pursue being a cinematographer or a producer.”
During his time there, Mena would see his gears switch again as he got the opportunity to be involved with Raider Vision, a student program where they learn about sports broadcasting and media production of live sporting events.
“I just really loved the environment of the live sports atmosphere and the game day experience,” Mena said. “That’s really what got me falling in love with sports and switching my classes to sports instead of movies. I knew I could do something more towards photography and communication.”
Mena had no golf experience or knowledge and really didn’t grow up playing any sports, but it didn’t deter him from applying for the AJGA internship.
“I got the email a few times through TeamWork Online and honestly at first I just dismissed it because I was like I don’t know anything about golf,” Mena said. “But after I looked at the communications internship and saw that no golf experience was required, I saw the requirements and knew it was something I could do.”
Mena worked with Team 2 as a communications intern for the summer where he was tasked with executing social media, photography, videography, and assisting with overall tournament operations. Although he’s had experience with other sports from a production aspect, his eyes have been open to another world.
“It’s been so cool learning about this whole community that I didn’t even know existed,” Mena said. “I’ve just learned so much from all the juniors and going to new courses and seeing how much this means to people so it’s really amazing to make this impact in their lives. Now I find myself watching golf with my team something I never thought I would do.”
Mena has also learned to work and lean on his team when it comes to both on and off the golf course.
“I feel like I’ve known my team for years, it’s crazy,” Mena said. “It’s a lot of hard work but we’re all in this together so we’re always helping each other out. I’ve been able to learn a lot from my other communications person so much as well in like a social media aspect so the way the AJGA pairs us up is neat because I’m more confident in that skill now.”
If you're driven to be part of this dynamic community, applications for the 2024 AJGA Traveling Internships are open with the spring deadline coming up on October 16, 2023, and the summer deadline set for January 5, 2024. For more insights into the #AJGAInternship, explore the AJGA Careers webpage and Instagram channel .
