From island to international: My story with Britalians TV

In the summer of 2021, I received the news that I won a scholarship for an international virtual internship program. As a university student in my last semester, I knew I had to make the most of this time to gain experience in the communications field and improve my networking skills for future working environments. When I found out I was set up with a European media company called Britalians TV, at first, I thought “what a funny name!” then I researched what they were about and was more than pleasantly surprised with their content. I knew this internship was going to be far from boring.

A friendly learning experience 

I was happy to have Marco and Erica as my supervisors and grateful that they are such nice, understanding, and funny people. Virtual internships are harder than you think, especially if there is a big time zone difference and miscommunication can come often but can also be cleared up just as fast. Thankfully, they have been very patient with me and the mistakes I’ve made, and it has been a wonderful learning experience. I have more knowledge of my field now than I did before the summer. Sometimes there are things you don’t learn in class.

All kinds of humans 

I was assigned to help manage social media and content. So, I must rewatch a lot of the content to make suitable posts. I think the most interesting part of this internship has been all the amazing people I’ve learned about in the interviews of Marco and Erica’s Talkshow. Everything from dentist horror stories to famous actors reenacting childbirth, I have only been with Britalians TV a short time, and I feel like I’ve already seen so much. I admire how they manage to make every guest feel so welcome and appreciated, the atmosphere is always friendly yet professional. I also really like that they are not afraid to ask awkward questions, which are always entertaining. How they find these people, I have no idea!

Travel can change your life

Of course, some interviews impacted me more personally than others. I come from Puerto Rico, a small island in the Caribbean with a big cultural heart. I love my home, but sometimes it can feel a bit cramped. It’s not like the United States of America, where you can just drive to another state or Europe where it is so easy to travel to other countries. So, whenever I have a chance to travel, I don’t even hesitate. In my third year of university, I participated in an exchange program with Erasmus and for 7 months, I lived in the south of Spain in a city called Málaga, a place I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Marco and Erica have been to before. It was one of the happiest times of my life! I didn’t know anyone in Europe, but I made so many friends from all over the world and travelled to as many countries as I could. My love for travel blossomed and the entire experience was enriching. This is one of the reasons why I think I connect with Britalians TV and their message. And why I also felt very inspired by their interview with Filippo Dias, which is available to watch on Britalians TV. We both came from Latin American countries, seeking more of the world and what it has to offer, as well as what we could offer it. I related to his sense of belonging in a place you weren’t born in but still love and amusingly enough, his limited finances as a student. I loved that he managed to stay there and do what he loves, it gave me hope that I can continue with similar ambitions.

Doing what you love and turning it into a career

Speaking of ambitions, another interview I felt particularly inspired by was Marco and Erica’s interview with DJ Barry. I’m sure like many other viewers, at first, I thought it was going to be an actual musical DJ but to my surprise, he was actually a street artist. I have always been an artist, ever since I was a kid, I remember doodling Frida Kahlo on my schoolbooks. Art is a part of my life and I want to dedicate the rest of my life to it. Being a successful street artist has always been my dream. Street art is artistic expression without limits in urban areas. They can make a boring concrete jungle look like a giant museum. Whenever I paint a mural, which can be seen on my Instagram art page @anjivila, just the looks of awe and people appreciating the work but also capturing the message is worth more than anything. This is a sentiment that is repeated in DJ Barry’s interview. I was incredibly touched by his dedication to his cause and what his creations mean to him and how he shares that. He now works full time doing what he loves but also gives so much back to the world, I loved his sense of community. Hopefully one day I will make it like him, traveling around and painting murals that are helping change the world. It was one of the longest interviews but also in my opinion, one of the best.

They are the real deal

This internship has given me a lot of insight as well as initiative to try other aspects of media and marketing, such as writing press articles. I admire Marco and Erica a lot for the work they do and the respect they carry with it. I understand why their audience stays so faithful and why they’re so captured by the content. I hope to keep in communication with them even after the internship concludes, as they are people you want to know in your life. They always told me from the beginning of the internship that their message is to spread love, kindness, and optimism to the humans of the world, and I think they are achieving that just fine.