Advertising major’s big city dream becomes reality at summer internship

(Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of stories about students in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications completing summer internships.)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —  From a small town in Pennsylvania’s Amish Country to a skyscraper in Manhattan, Lucy Bickel’s journey is powered by creativity, curiosity and ambition.

Bickel first learned about what would become her dream job during a networking event organized by the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. There, she met alumna Becky Kitlan, a group creative director at business agency GALE.  

“I instantly thought, ‘I want to be her one day,’” said Bickel, an advertising major from Myerstown, Pennsylvania.

Still a freshman at the time, Bickel had already secured a spot in the Bellisario College’s Maymester in Manhattan program later that year. Bickel was excited to see GALE was one of six agencies the students would visit during the program.

Fast forward to May and, according to Bickel, the GALE visit not only stood out, it sparked some early thoughts about career goals.

“We walked in and we’re on the 62nd floor of One World Trade Center, and the first thing you see is the Statue of Liberty,” Bickel said. “It was like … your jaw drops.”

During the visit, the students met leaders from each department. The reps answered questions and shared insights on how the agency works. Bickel said the tour was a difference maker.

“The first thing they did was ask us our names,” Bickel said. “They wanted to know what we were hoping to get out of the experience. It was such a small thing, but it showed off the friendly, collaborating culture at GALE.”

GALE, an award-winning business agency, quickly became Bickel’s top internship choice, and after that introductory tour, she did her best to stay connected. She commented on employee LinkedIn posts and asked questions about current and upcoming projects.

“It turned into a great relationship,” Bickel said. “And I definitely have the Bellisario College to thank for it.”

Fresh perspective

A senior, Bickel is also minoring in entrepreneurship and digital media trends. She said her passion for mentorship and learning originates from her parents, who are both schoolteachers. She credits her creativity and love of storytelling to her time as editor-in-chief of her high school’s yearbook.

She honed her design, storytelling and writing skills while creating the concepts and storylines of the yearbook. Six years in a row, her school’s publication won best yearbook in the state at the Pennsylvania School Press Association. And it was at the PSPA competition, which was hosted by the Bellisario College, where Bickel met the college’s dean at the time, Marie Hardin, and manager of recruitment, Emily Clevenger.

“When chatting with them, they helped me realize that I wasn't necessarily a journalism student … I was more of an advertising student,” Bickel said. “I like to create the concepts, the vision. I like to see the whole picture come together, rather than just write the stories.”

Today, Bickel is doing that at GALE as an emerging connections intern. Since May 20, she has been exploring strategy work, conducting competitor audits, researching community responses and learning about different departments.

“I've been able to have a lot of great coffee chats and one-on-ones with the people that work here,” she said. “I learned about internal comms, and I chatted with people who work with influencers and are community managers.”

She added, “There are so many jobs here that require being creative. I always thought that if you wanted a creative career, you had to be in the creative department, but I'm learning that's not the case. You can be creative in whatever you do here.”

At GALE, Bickel said, she is primarily working with MilkPEP on the Milk Cup, a women esports tournament — and one of the most-watched women’s esports tournaments in history.

To prepare, she immersed herself in the gaming world by attending conferences and exploring the ever-growing online community of women gamers. While never a big gamer, she said, she wanted to better understand the audience and learn about the different roles involved.

"Lucy’s curiosity and ambition make her a standout addition to the team this summer,” said Ben James, GALE chief innovation officer. “She brings a fresh perspective that contributes to the kind of bold, innovative work we strive to deliver at GALE.”

Big city dreams

Bickel has come a long way since high school when she had “no idea advertising agencies existed.” She liked watching television and thought it was the only place for a creative career, but she said getting to the Bellisario College “opened my eyes to a completely different side of things.”

“It’s wild, and as a super-creative person, it gives me variety, which I like,” she said about working in advertising. “One day you’re working in gaming and then the next day you’re working on a Brazilian steakhouse.”

Although the transition was smooth, Bickel said there were some surprises when moving from a small rural Pennsylvania town to New York City. She admitted that working in the city can seem mean and unwelcoming, but that hasn’t been the case at GALE.

“I often think about how friendly and supportive everyone is here,” she said. “It's very inclusive and welcoming, which is amazing. You can tell there's a huge commitment to diversity and being yourself.”

Bickel will work at GALE through the rest of the summer. She said the experience has been a “dream,” and she hopes to use the experience to make post-graduation plans, learn more about different creative roles and find one that fits best.

“I am so grateful,” she said. “It feels like I am in a movie. It’s like I was plucked out of a small town somewhere, just a Pennsylvania girl, and now I am working at my dream agency at One World Trade … 62 floors up.”