It’s a perfect fall day in Duluth. The leaves are at peak color, the air is crisp but tempered by a warm wash of sunlight and the blue sky is textured with thin clouds. Jenna Whiting, a marketing and graphic design student at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), has the best vantage point to take it all in—She’s flying nearly 1,000 feet in the air gathering photos and video clips for her marketing internship at Lake Superior Helicopters.
“It’s very peaceful,” Whiting said. When you’re in the helicopter it’s “like you’re floating on a cloud.”
The aircraft’s doors are removed so Whiting has an unobstructed view. Through the communication headset, she directs the pilot toward the Aerial Lift Bridge, where the Robert S. Pierson freight carrier was making its way toward the canal. From above, its 630-foot length is impressive. The helicopter leans as it arcs around the bridge, giving Whiting the perfect perspective. Wind gusts into the helicopter cabin, lifting her hair in a swirl as she snaps photos of the ship.
As a marketing intern for Lake Superior Helicopters, Whiting is creating content, managing social media, updating web pages, reviewing analytics and responding to customer feedback. It’s work that aligns perfectly with her studies. In fact, she’s already applying lessons from her Consumer Behavior class toward improving the flow of information on the company’s website.
“I leave that class feeling like it’s a therapy session,” she said. “I love that class.”
Her art classes, like 2D Digital Design and Visual Literacy, are equipping her with the tools and technical know-how to tackle creative design projects. Having a strong foundation in both marketing and graphic design, she said, has helped in her internship and will provide her with a broad range of knowledge and opportunity after graduation. Eventually, she would like to be a marketing manager.
“I’m very good at leading a team,” she said. “I’m also very good with time management and organization.”
On campus, Whiting is leveraging those strengths as the chief marketing officer and treasurer for Bulldog Rocketry, a student club that builds 15-foot rockets and competes in an international competition each year.
“I just like things in the air I guess,” she said with a smile.
In her roles with Bulldog Rocketry, Whiting manages social media, handles finances, paints the rocket, creates content and coaches other team members on how to communicate key components of the rocket to the judges at competition. She also received hands-on experience with building the rocket, helping with “carbon layup,” the process of combining carbon cloth and resin, and assisting with mixing and pouring of the rocket motor.
“Not being an engineering student and learning about how to build a rocket and how a rocket works is pretty cool,” she said.
Between her internship, Bulldog Rocketry and the six classes she’s taking this semester, her schedule is full. But with a color-coordinated calendar and support from family and friends, it’s doable. She’s trying to make the most of her time at UMD because the journey to get here wasn’t easy. When Whiting was five years old, she received a heart transplant that saved her life. She was also diagnosed with a muscle disorder and scoliosis.
“I see things in a different perspective,” she said. That outlook on life motivates her to seize opportunities and enjoy the ride. “I'm proud of myself for just being me and doing whatever I put my mind to.”
Back in the helicopter, Whiting directs the pilot up the Lake Superior shoreline. They circle around Glensheen Mansion before moving inland toward one of her favorite views: UMD’s campus. The gold Bulldog emblem stands out on Malosky field, and the red brick of the Kathryn A. Martin Library shines with a warm glow. Groups of students shuffle along sidewalks toward their morning classes. It’s picture-perfect.
Again, the helicopter pitches, setting Whiting up for the perfect angle. She presses the shutter button on her phone and a few more photos populate in her camera roll, memories of a time and place that she’ll remember forever.
“If I didn’t choose to go to UMD, I wouldn’t have the experiences that I’m doing now,” she said. “I love UMD.”
