My name is Natalia Conley, and I recently graduated from Arizona State University, where I majored in Business Law. My family moved from Serbia, and when I first started kindergarten, I did not even know English. That experience shaped me more than I realized at the time. It taught me how important it is to feel understood, and it made me pay attention to how people communicate. That is a big reason why my internship at Nativa Multicultural Communications ended up being so meaningful to me. It was not just experience to add to my resume. It helped me grow professionally and personally, and it gave me real confidence stepping into the next chapter.
When I started looking for internships, I honestly felt behind. I kept seeing other students talk about their experience and it made me feel like I needed to catch up fast. I wanted something that actually matched my interests and would teach me real skills. When I found Nativa, it stood out because it was multicultural focused and the work sounded hands on. From the beginning, I could tell this was the type of place where interns are trusted to do real work, not just sit on the sidelines.
Before Nativa, I did not have formal marketing experience, so I was nervous about the learning curve. But Eric Diaz and Gaby Erikson were not just great mentors, they were the kind of mentors who make you feel like you belong. They made it easy to ask questions, helped walk me through anything I was stuck on, and gave feedback in a way that actually helped me improve without feeling embarrassed. The whole team created an environment that was supportive, positive, and real, which made it so much easier to learn and grow quickly.
One of my favorite parts of the internship was getting to support projects for real clients, including Desert Financial Credit Union. Seeing how work comes together from research to strategy to execution was such a valuable experience. It made marketing feel real, not just something you talk about in class. Working on client related tasks also taught me how important it is to be organized, clear, and consistent, because the smallest details can affect the bigger picture.
What stood out to me most is how much multicultural marketing is about meaning, not just translation. Tone, context, and culture matter. Coming from a Serbian background and learning English from the beginning, I have always understood how easy it is for people to feel left out of messaging that was not made with them in mind. That is why working at Nativa felt personal in the best way.
Overall, my time at Nativa was transformative. I gained real experience, built skills I will carry forward, and learned what a strong team and strong mentorship can do for your confidence. I am genuinely grateful for the trust Nativa puts in interns, and I am especially grateful for Eric and Gaby and the support from the entire team.
For more information on what it’s like to work as an intern with the Nativa internship program, check out other blogs posted by past interns!
