Top 5 Sweetest Hershey Summer Internship Moments

Date: August 15, 2025

From navigating a corporate environment for the first time to getting hands-on experience throughout town, my internship with Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (HE&R) has been integral in my development as an aspiring Public Relations professional. As the Communications Intern under the Professional Internship Program, my summer has been full of sweet moments. Keep reading for a peek into my past three months in The Sweetest Place On Earth.

TWIZZLERS TWISTED GRAVITY OPENS AT HERSHEYPARK

The opening date of Twizzlers Twisted Gravity was announced during the first week of my internship. Meaning, week two would be all hands on deck as we prepared to open the tallest Screamin' Swing in the world. On Tuesday, I assisted the marketing department in preparing props for the commercial shoot. On Thursday, I saw how a media event with news outlets and influencers is pulled off, even in the rain! Friday was an early morning as I watched live news hits from inside Hersheypark. By Saturday, the ride was officially open! What a whirlwind!

TOP PERFORMERS TAKE THE STAGE AT HERSHEYPARK STADIUM

As someone who constantly has music playing, getting a behind-the-scenes look into concerts at Hersheypark Stadium was one of the most exciting moments of my summer. I watched Jelly Roll and Post Malone hype up the crowd during our first outdoor concert of the year as I escorted photographers on and off the floor. About two months later, I was posting on our Instagram page live during Summer Worship Nights, with a crowd of over 30,000 people.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

With three resorts, multiple dining locations, the largest amusement park in Pennsylvania, and more, Hershey, Pa., is a destination like no other. Throughout the summer, I had multiple opportunities to tour HE&R’s facilities. When doing so, I connected with leading professionals in the hospitality and tourism industry. Similarly, interns were invited to over ten sessions throughout the summer featuring topics such as workplace fundamentals, inclusion and finance. Each helped me expand my knowledge outside of day-to-day tasks. 

COLLABORATIVE CHARACTER PROJECT 

As the Communications Intern at the Hershey Press Building, I worked very closely with the four marketing interns. Additionally, interns from Milton Hershey School (MHS) joined us in the middle of the summer. Together, we created a comprehensive marketing and communications strategic campaign centered around Hershey Characters, which we presented to about twenty company leaders. Although I am proud of the work we accomplished, I am even more grateful for the friendships created throughout this experience. Learn more about our partnership with the School on the MHS website.

SKILLSET DEVELOPMENT

Thanks to the help of my supervisor, the Communications team and various other full-time team members, I gained a better understanding of the Public Relations field. I developed my skills in social media content capturing, writing media pitches and various blog posts, and crisis communications. I even had an opportunity to pitch the local news about July 4th things to do around town and secured some media placements on behalf of the company. Some of my favorite social media projects were creating Instagram reels for Hersheypark Stadium and working with the Food and Beverage team at Hersheypark to take photos of their unique hot dog offerings for Hot Dog Week. The staff was never shy to include me in important conversations and was always happy to answer any questions. I am grateful for their evident dedication to this field, this industry and my development as a student. 

With the award-winning Hersheypark Leadership Development Internship, Hospitality Internship Program, and Culinary and Professional Internships, HE&R offers experiential learning programs for all majors of study. Keep an eye on HersheyJobs.com for internship opportunities as they become available throughout the year.