Inside the Rams internship pearls

Through the LA Promise Fund, students are provided with valuable internship opportunities working with an NFL team and fulfilling a dream 

Los Angeles, CA (News4usOnline) – Life of an NFL intern has its perks. The rewards are many if you are one of the fortunate ones to cross this threshold. Few people get the opportunity to be part of a professional sports franchise. When that door comes knocking, it’s good to be able to answer the bell. 

For Kalyn Mason and Savannah Edwards-Baily, the opportunity to join the Los Angeles Rams as members of the public relations staff during the summer, specifically during training camp, introduced them to a whole new world. In her second stint with the team, Mason is super excited about this chance.  

“On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a 12,” Mason said during a July 30 interview. “I love this organization so much. I’m having a great time. Honestly, one of the most fun summers I’ve had in a while.” 

The experience has been nothing like she’s ever done, Edwards-Bailey said. 

“I can’t compare it to anything else,” Edwards-Bailey said by phone on Aug. 11. “I haven’t had so much fun doing something in sports. Going into it, it is a job. So I’m not thinking like it’s going to be fun every day, or that in a way there’s like this misconception where it’s like interns are treated as less than. 

“Working for the Rams this summer, we were treated as equals, and almost like just as important, sometimes more important, because we are on the front lines. We are what fans think the Rams are. I just feel very integrated into the Rams team. It was so fun. Every day was like so fun,” she added. 

Both Mason and Edwards-Bailey were able to secure this rare opportunity of the summer internship by way of the LA Promise Fund, a community partner of the Rams.   

Through its myriad of programs like GirlsBuild, ArtsMatter, Black College Success Initiative, and The Intern Project, the LA Promise Fund provides local youth with opportunities in underserved communities they might not otherwise be exposed to. 

“LA Promise Fund is something we started back in 2018,” said Jonathan Franklin, who is part of the Rams Community Affairs and Engagement program. 

“What we always want to do is make sure we provide access and exposure to the youth,” Franklin went on to say during this training camp interview. “Many times, we look at these high school students, and they’re the future. They’re the next generation. But how can they lead if they’re not put in positions now to learn how to do it, how to dream beyond their current realities? That’s what it’s all about for us. Social justice is in our DNA, and it starts with access and opportunities. That’s how we define it.”

Mason is a senior attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Edwards-Bailey hopes to wrap up her senior year at City of Angels School in Los Angeles. Both students gave kudos to the LA Promise Fund for opening the door to their internship opportunity with the Rams. 

“I think, honestly, LA Promise Fund is one of those high school memories that I’ll never forget, and one of those experiences…internship programs I will never forget,” Mason said. “I think this is the first team I’ve worked with-the Rams, honestly, the best team I could have starting out. The Rams organization is so special. To be able to meet everyone I did here, meet Jonathan, and to be in this environment through the LA Promise Fund was life-changing.”

“And it’s what the LA Promise Fund offers in addition to that,” Mason continued. “It’s not just we’re partnering you with the Rams, but we’re also preparing you for your college future. We’re helping with your college essays. We’re giving you mock interviews and just helping you prepare for that future stuff you’re going to have to go through eventually in life. I think the combination of those two changed my life for the better.” 

A day in the life of an NFL intern is long and filled with various tasks. If you happen to become an intern working in the public relations or marketing department, daily duties usually mean doing a little bit of everything, Edwards-Bailey said. 

“Every day, the task varied,” she said. “The ultimate goal was that we wanted to create an environment where new fans would want to come back next year, and foster an environment for old-time fans that want to just stay and kind of creating a good environment for them, and because we are on the frontlines, me and the other interns…we were kind of like representation of the Rams.”        

For Mason, the representation of the organization and the team’s public relations office meant multi-tasking by the layers. According to Artis Twyman, vice president of Communications for the Rams, those duties include securing player interviews for the media, writing stories for the club’s website, producing flipcards, and transcribing interviews.

The laundry list of things to do is long, but to Mason, it’s been worth it. 

“It’s been amazing,” Mason said. “I think obviously, the highlight has been training camp and joining the Rams organization again. I’ve been loving it so far, and just such an amazing environment to be at. So, I’m having a great time.”