Public relations (PR) and communication studies (CMST) double major Camillia Benjamin (she/her) is involved in over a half a dozen clubs during the school year. But with summer 2022 approaching, Benjamin wants something to do with her time. In November 2021, Benjamin found out that she landed an internship in PR and communication at  The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Benjamin found out about the internship during her freshman year in 2020. However, because she was so fresh into college and had no grades yet, she was rejected and told to reapply again the next summer. Now, as a sophomore, Benjamin landed the internship and will be doing everything from engaging with visitors to writing press releases this summer. Right now, she  is excited to find out what department of the museum she will get placed in.

This summer internship will come after Benjamin finishes a school year during which she held a leadership position in seven extracurricular clubs! 

“Before I got to Temple, I was just losing my mind on the OwlConnect page and I was like, ‘Oh, I wanna do this, I wanna do that,’” she said.

Benjamin is currently the director of finance at PRowl, Temple University’s student-run PR firm, as well as account executive for PRowl’s Temple University Honors Program account. As director of finance, she sends invoices to clients and buys gifts for the account associates of the month. As an account executive, she meets with the client, puts together media tool kits, creates posts and helps with anything else the Honors Program wants to put out. 

In addition to her work with PRowl, Benjamin is the president of the Temple University Black PR Society. After being secretary for the club last year, she applied to be president because of her passion for creating a safe space for people of color in media and communication. Though she says it is not always easy, Benjamin is proud to be a part of the society.

Another one of Benjamin’s passions is event planning. This led her to get involved with Main Campus Program Board (MCPB) where she is the director of daytime and special events. It is at MCPB where Benjamin met two of her closest friends: Director of Spirit and Traditions Lienne Lai Hing (she/her) and Vice President of Internal Affairs Jordan Manson (she/her).

Lai Hing and Manson credit Benjamin with not only planning amazing events but also supporting them in any way she can. Benjamin put on four events in the fall semester where students could come and do anything from getting a massage to enjoying some French toast bites to celebrate fall. Benjamin admitted that she likes everything to be perfect at her events, and often goes all out with decorations.

“She’s good at, honestly, everything she does,” Manson said. “She pushes me to do better, and I really appreciate her.” Part of Manson’s role is attending other people’s events and working with them on team development and strategy. However, as much as Manson helps Benjamin, Benjamin often returns the favor and has passed her attention to detail and outstanding PowerPoint creation skills on to Manson. Benjamin also got Manson involved in working at REFINE Magazine in fall 2021.

At REFINE, Benjamin is the front-of-book and back-of-book editor. She originally joined her freshman year as a writer, and credits the club with helping her make many friends early in her time at Temple. Now, she got Manson involved as a features editor and they get to work together in yet another setting. 

Benjamin is also the president of the Minority Voices Project, the chief communications officer in Temple Student Government and the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Fashion and Business Club. She has been involved in all three clubs since her freshman year and loves using her leadership skills in different environments.

“She’s just so ambitious,” Lai Hing said. “I personally don’t know how she does it or how she has time for it and still has a social life.”

Lai Hing, Manson and Benjamin are all close friends outside of their work together at MCPB. They see each other several times a week and love to go out to dinner or explore Philadelphia. Lai Hing noted how Benjamin has a big personality and cares deeply about her friends. “In the short amount of time I’ve known her, we are incredibly close,” she said.

Benjamin is incredibly grateful to have her friends, but also her professors and mentors within Klein College of Media and Communication. She expressed that sometimes she struggles with imposter syndrome but faculty such as Director of Communication Studies Scott Gratson, Director for Career Services Lu Ann Cahn and Diversity Advisor to the Office of the Dean David Brown are always there to encourage her to keep going.

“She is going to take the world by storm,” Lai Hing said. “Everybody better watch out.”