Fall Finale: Carly Waldorph Shines in the CCI Internship Diaries

Photo courtesy of Carly Waldorph. Carly will be studying abroad at London Metropolitan University this spring. She visited London during a travel interterm course in January and fell in love with the city, and she can’t wait to return.

Can you believe we’re already at the end of the fall semester? That means we have one last student to feature in this round of the CCI Internship Diaries… emphasis on this round, because trust me, we’ll be back. And while we’re sad to close out the fall edition, we could not be more excited to introduce Carly Waldorph ’27!

Carly is someone who throws herself wholeheartedly into everything she does. She’s a Communication Studies major, a CCI minor, and the Director of Activities and Leadership for Alpha Gamma Delta (yes, she really does it all). Oh, and did we mention she’s also working a 40-hour fall sales and marketing internship with Marriott Vacations Worldwide at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas? She’s only a junior and already building a résumé that’s putting us all to shame. But before we dive into the nitty-gritty of her internship and all things CCI, let’s get to know Carly a little better. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she’s a proud California girl who plans on sticking around, and eventually dipping her toes into the entertainment world. She surrounds herself with books and movies, and even took advantage of Chapman’s Interterm courses by traveling to London for REL 333: Religion and Gender in Harry Potter. She loved it so much that she’s actually gearing up to go abroad again next semester in (you guessed it) London!

Carly first learned about the CCI minor from being immersed in Chapman’s community, and thanks to a familiar face: alum Avery Grant, one of our previous interviewees and Carly’s Freshman orientation leader.  Inspired, she declared the minor at the end of her freshman year. Even though she didn’t know much about CCI at first, that uncertainty opened the door to exploring the wide range of industries the program offers. With such a diverse mix of classes, she’s discovered interests she never would’ve found in Communication Studies alone. Now add in her extracurriculars, her drive, and her curiosity, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for landing her internship at Marriott. And yes, we’ll be spilling all the details: how she found it (hint: cold pitching!), what she’s learned, and what she loves most about being a CCI minor.

So without further ado… let’s begin.

Photo courtesy of Carly Waldorph. This is a moment from her internship orientation, where she learned about Marriott’s values, the company’s legacy, and what success looks like in the hospitality industry.

Alright Carly, walk us through it, how did you find this internship, and what exactly do you do?

CW: I actually found my internship through LinkedIn, even though it used to terrify me. At the end of my sophomore year, I finally got serious about it: I updated my profile, built a portfolio website, polished my résumé with the Career Center, and started cold messaging people whose jobs I thought were interesting. I wasn’t even asking for internships; I just wanted to hear their career stories, and those conversations turned into weekly Zoom calls from April to August. Then at the end of July, I saw that Marriott had posted internships (which I didn’t even know they offered), found the recruiter, shot my shot, and messaged her. The timing was perfect because the role had literally just opened. We instantly clicked, and my interview with the Senior Marketing Manager went an hour and fifteen minutes because we were having a great time. I got the offer right after. Now, as a Fall Sales and Marketing Intern at the Newport Coast Villas, I help with on-site marketing, work on collateral, sit in on real sales presentations, and even bring a bit of social media magic to the team. I filmed a day-in-the-life video that might end up on Marriott’s Instagram soon. It’s a lot, but honestly, I’m having the best time learning it all.

What are the most important things you’ve learned during your internship, whether about yourself, the industry, or CCI? And have you seen anything from your classes show up in your daily work?

CW: I’ve learned so much during this internship, especially about how much goes into running a hospitality property every single day. I’ve always been interested in the industry, but seeing the behind-the-scenes has made me appreciate it on a whole new level. I also realized that hospitality might not be my long-term path, but this experience has taught me how to be professional in a corporate, guest-facing environment and has strengthened my communication skills since I interact with so many different people every day. In terms of CCI, this experience has confirmed that I chose the right minor. Being in hospitality has actually made me even more curious about exploring other industries, and CCI gives me the perfect foundation to do that. I’ve also seen a lot of what I’ve learned in class show up in my daily work, especially from CCI 304: Creative and Cultural Industries in Practice, where we studied different organizational leadership styles. The marketing and sales teams work completely differently from the front desk, and noticing those contrasts in real time has been so cool, especially since this is my first professional internship. Overall, I feel like everything I’ve learned in CCI and communications, such as being a strong communicator, being open-minded, and understanding how different industries operate, has genuinely helped me thrive in this role.

Photo courtesy of Carly Waldorph. This is Carly’s work in Newport Beach at Marriott’s beautiful property. The hotel overlooks Pacific Coast Highway and sits right next to Pelican Hill.

Alright! Tell me: What makes CCI different, and what has been your favorite class so far?

CW: What I love most about CCI is how different every class feels—there’s never a dull moment. Right now, I’m in CCI 203: Contemporary Issues in Creative and Cultural Industries, where we’re diving into AI and copyright in creative industries, and CCI 302: Cultural Memory, which looks at how the digital age is changing the way we experience museums and artifacts. The mix of people in the classes and the amazing guest lecturers makes everything so interesting, and it’s really helped me explore different industries while figuring out what kind of career I want. My favorite class so far has been CCI 303: Cultural Organization Management with Professor Grace Hinkley. We talked a lot about workplace culture, setting professional boundaries, and each week we got to hear from a guest speaker from a different industry: fashion, music, film, hospitality, you name it. It was so eye-opening, and it really showed me how CCI gives you the tools to succeed in any industry while keeping things exciting and fresh.

As we wrap up, what words of advice would you give to someone thinking about joining the CCI minor?

CW: I would say if you’re unsure about what you want to do with your career or how to use your major, that’s totally okay. CCI is a great way to start exploring those questions and discovering what really interests you. Honestly, I’ve learned the most in my CCI classes just by talking to other students and professors about their experiences, asking questions, and being genuinely curious. CCI is unique because it opens doors to connections you might never have expected. My advice would be to take one CCI class, see how it feels, and if you enjoy it, there’s definitely something in the minor that will fit you, there are so many options. Just keep an open mind, be ready to try new things, and take advantage of the people and opportunities around you.

Photo courtesy of Carly Waldorph. In her free time, Carly enjoys going to Disneyland, and one of her biggest professional and academic goals is to intern at Disney in the future.

And before we officially wrap things up, here’s another fun fact about Carly: she splits her time between being on campus Tuesdays and Thursdays and spending the rest of the week at Marriott, where she’s actually the only intern. That setup comes with its challenges; she’s surrounded by colleagues who are four or five years older, so finding someone to relate to can be tricky. But it’s also been incredibly rewarding. Carly has learned how to balance work and life, discover her own boundaries, and navigate how different personalities operate in a professional environment.

A huge thank you to Carly for taking time out of her busy schedule to share her journey with us! We’re wishing her all the best as she wraps up her internship and prepares for her semester abroad. If you want to be featured in our CCI Internship Diaries, don’t be shy, reach out to us on Instagram @ccichapmann or contact our social media coordinator at erosas@chapman.edu.