Blog

August 7, 2024 - HighGround was pleased to have four interns with us this summer. We recently sat down, fireside, to learn more about our Client Solutions intern, Avery Klotz, and her experience working at HighGround.

Where are you from? What school do you attend, and what are you studying?

I'm from Allen, Texas. I’m going into my senior year at Texas Tech University and am majoring in marketing. I’m also getting a certificate in sales and customer relationship management.

What brought you to HighGround?

I looked up a bunch of companies ahead of the career fair at Tech because there were so many, and I wanted to be able to navigate the fair and know which companies interested me most. HighGround was one of those. I got to talk to [HighGround Director of Human Resources] Carol Nichols and [HighGround Director of Public Markets] Steve Thieme while at the fair. During the interview process, talking to [HighGround Director of Creative, Communications & Culture] Lacy Cagle, [HighGround Client Investment Solutions Strategist] Jordan Lovelady, and [HighGround Chief Strategy Officer] David Slover differentiated HighGround even more because those interactions were so comfortable and friendly. I felt like HighGround would be a great fit for me.

What all did you do in your time here?

I was a marketing intern on the Client Solutions team, and I got to hop around and do a number of things. I started by conducting a competitor audit and giving a campaign pitch. I researched our competitors’ social media engagement then brought some new ideas for our social media channels to the team. I got to work on some advertisements and help with some social media graphics, as well. I assisted the team with a bunch of other stuff, too, as it came up.

What have you learned in your time here? What’s been your biggest takeaway?

I feel like I got to learn a lot about the process of developing advertisements and preparing for events, whether internal or external events. I got to utilize a lot of new tools that will help me as I continue at Tech and in the future, as well. I also realized it's ok to ask questions - that's how you learn, by asking the people around you how to do things or by asking them about the particulars of their job focus. That was interesting to me, and it allowed me to learn more about the company.

What is a favorite moment from your time at HighGround?

I don’t necessarily have one favorite moment, but just getting to know people has been great, whether spending time with the other interns as we all navigate this experience together or interacting with people day to day. Having gotten to know the team on more of a personal level, I cherish the relationships I've built in my time here.

We focus on strengths at HighGround and utilize the CliftonStrengths assessment. What are your top five strengths?

Mine are Discipline, Relator, Responsibility, Achiever, and Consistency.

When I got the test results, it made a lot of sense. These strengths describe me well. When I had my first session with our Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, I thought, “This is almost creepy how he knows me way better than he should, just from looking at my top five strengths.” We talked about Relator being my number two strength. I didn’t quite understand what Relator meant, so I was asking about it. Hearing him talk about that strength was interesting, then it made sense why it was so high for me. He explained that Relators value the people they choose to spend time with. It’s not that they’re not willing to get to know new people, but they are intentional about their time with friends. Rather than going up to talk to everyone they see at a gathering, Relators are more likely to spend time there with people they know well. That’s me.

Which of the HighGround core values resonates most deeply with you and why?

I feel like they all resonate with me, but where I am in my life right now, I’d say Innovation. I feel like everything in the world is changing so rapidly, and having an innovative mindset is so important to be able to keep up with the world right now, especially in marketing. There are new trends all the time. Marketers have to keep up with that, understanding the demands of what people want to see and coming up with new creative ideas all the time.

How do you like to spend your time? What are your hobbies or passions?

I play acoustic guitar. I need to finally get around to teaching myself electric guitar. I've had one for way too long to not know how to play it, but I’m excited to have a light load this semester to practice. I like cooking and trying new recipes. Also, spending time with friends, whether shopping, playing pickleball, or hanging out at the house.  

What does the future hold for you?

I've loved learning graphic design with [HighGround Visual Communications Strategist] Madi Welch and would love to find a job where I could apply that. I’ve thought about getting a master’s in graphic design or digital marketing. I’m still narrowing it down, but I think I’d like to have a social media and digital marketing focus in my career. Outside of that, I’m not totally sure. I’ve lived in Texas all my life, so it could be really cool to go somewhere else, but I don't know where.