Published September 4, 2025
To paraphrase Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest, this isn’t Andora Corley’s first time at the rodeo. The marketing intern, who began her current role in June and will continue through December, is on her second internship with Phoenix Mecano.“ My first internship here was as a logistics apprentice, working in the warehouse,” Andora explains. “It was completely different from what I’m doing now—much more physical. But I learned a lot: how to collaborate with people, how to work toward a shared vision. I came back for a second internship, so I guess I like it here! And I guess they like me, too.”
Going from logistics to marketing may seem like a leap, but Andora is majoring in mass communications at Frederick Community College, so the switch made sense. She also credits her mom with helping her make that leap. “My mom is my number one supporter in all things—especially when it comes to encouraging me to ‘go for it’ and try new things. I really wanted to explore marketing. So, when I saw the posting for a marketing internship at Phoenix Mecano, I hesitated. But my mom told me to just do it. I’m glad I did.”
While classroom learning laid the foundation, Andora believes her upbringing in a military family gave her the real-world skills she needed to thrive. “You learn to be adaptive, meet new people, and become more comfortable trying new things,” she says. “There weren’t any textbook skills that prepared me for this job—it’s been about life experience.”
“In this position—and in the job in general—I’ve done a lot of things I didn’t think I could ever do,” she adds. “If you told me two years ago, ‘You’re going to be on TV’ or ‘You’re going to be speaking on a panel to business leaders,’ I would have never believed you!”
Each day in marketing looks different. Some mornings begin with communicating with colleagues in California and Germany. Other days involve meeting with other departments on a project or running to the local print shop to edit business cards. “I’m always on the move,” she says. “There’s no ‘typical day’ for me. It’s more like—what does the day bring? Most of the time, I’m working on various projects like redesigning one of our brochures or organizing customer sample data.”
While Phoenix Mecano does get some extra help for the summer by offering internships, it’s also doing a real service for the community: giving aspiring young professionals a chance to learn what it’s like to operate in the world beyond academia. “There was a moment when I thought to myself, ‘I love this,’” Andora says. “Interning here has helped me build my professional identity. I’m learning how to speak to people, how to ask for what I need, how to build relationships and collaborate.” She’s quick to praise the team around her, describing them as welcoming, engaged, and always willing to listen.
“My experience at Phoenix Mecano has been that it’s an environment where you can share your ideas—and people actually take them into consideration,” she says. “They don’t see you as ‘just an intern.’ They value everyone’s input. That’s been one of the most wonderful parts of my time here.”
Asked what advice she’d give to fellow students considering an internship at Phoenix Mecano, Andora doesn’t hesitate. “I’d tell them exactly what my mom told me: Go for it!” she says. “You learn something new every day here, no matter what department you’re in or what task you’re tackling. It all adds up to that professional identity I talked about— something you can carry into any job, in any organization.”
