Kent State University journalism major Asha Blake is spending the spring and summer semester as an intern in the Office of Marketing and Communications (MarCom). The Cleveland (Shaker Heights) native transferred to Kent State from Cuyahoga Community College in 2020, during the pandemic. She’ll graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in photojournalism in Fall 2022.
Asha Blake began by telling us about her path to the University.
Q: Why did you want to work at NEOMED?
A: My internship happened somewhat unexpectedly. I was covering the opening of the Summa Health Rootstown Medical Center for The Portager, a local news outlet covering Portage County. While I was there, I met many people who work for NEOMED. One of them happened to be Rod Ingram Sr., the vice president for communications and chief marketing officer of the Office of Marketing and Communications. He mentioned that he was looking for a MarCom intern and I was interested because this was something different from other internships I had in the past. Working for a health sciences university and learning more about people who plan to be in the health care field seemed intriguing.
I reached back out to Rod after my fall semester was over. After an interview with the rest of the team, I got the job.
Q. Do you have a particular project you’ll be completing as a MarCom intern?
A: Yes, I will be working on a series of stories in relation to the shortage of Black and Latinx health care professionals in the United States. As a journalism major, I want to give underrepresented minority (URM) students and health practitioners a platform to speak about this issue within our society.
Q: We know that your favorite color is red and you love to go thrift shopping.
Let’s get to another important topic: What are some of your favorite foods?
A: My number one favorite dish is tacos. If someone were to ask me, “What’s the one dish you would eat forever if you could only choose one?” I would pick tacos. They are an extremely versatile dish. There are different ways to make tacos and I enjoy that.
Aside from tacos, I also love my grandmother’s cooking. My mom’s side of the family is from Jamaica, and I love to eat dishes from that side of my culture. My grandmother makes great oxtail and curry goat dishes.
Q: Where are some of your favorite places to go?
A: In Ohio, I like to go to the Cleveland Metroparks. During the spring and summer, it is always so peaceful. The trees provide the perfect shade during walks.
In general, I enjoy going to North Carolina, specifically Charlotte. It is a gorgeous city and I have family down there. Everything about that city is great to look at which is fun, since I always have my eye out for a good photo.
Q: Now think bigger: If someone gave you one plane ticket to go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: That’s a tough choice, as I have many different places in my head for many different reasons. However, if I had to choose, I would probably pick Tokyo. I am a big fan of anime and that’s where it originates. The city also looks super cool. I have seen many videos of Tokyo and they have all managed to make the city look aesthetically pleasing. The neon lights and buildings all look like great places to take photos. I would love to go there.