STORY BY Catherine Hamrick
Just three days after completing his Berry degree requirements last December, Zach Pishock (25C) began training for a spring internship with the Georgia Senate Press Office. The phrase “hit the ground running” went from cliché to reality in no time.
“While many of my peers were starting to enjoy the holidays, I began commuting to Atlanta to work my first full-time job,” recalled Pishock, who applied for the communications aide position at the urging of Kayleigh Bell (22C), a policy aide for the Senate president pro tempore. She also connected him with the press office.
The role required a shift in perspective for Pishock, an international affairs major whose studies included contemporary world issues, the political structures of foreign governments, and a semester abroad in Barcelona, Spain.
“I spent a lot of time in and out of the office educating myself on Georgia politics,” he said. “I also had to prepare for the rigorous pace of the legislative session before January, which entailed training to live tweet committee meetings and write bill summaries in preparation for larger writing assignments.”
Eager to explore opportunities in government, Pishock dove into action under Georgia’s Gold Dome, applying skills honed through prior experience as student managing editor of “Berry Stories” for the college’s marketing and communications department.
“I was intimately familiar with the components of a meaningful story, especially when it came to accurately capturing voice without sacrificing professionalism,” he said.
Juggling assignments at Berry – from editing web content, flyers and emails to supervising student writers – proved an apt dress rehearsal for the demands of his internship.
“Once I arrived at the Senate, I learned to adapt my communications skills to politics,” Pishock said. “I had to finalize press releases, columns and video scripts at a moment’s notice for the 17 state senators in my portfolio. Luckily, I gained experience working on multiple projects at one time while at Berry, so I continued to thrive as the workload intensified.”
Pishock’s talents as an editor soon earned him new responsibilities reviewing documents for the Senate president pro tempore’s office.
“The president pro tempore published a near-weekly newsletter to update his constituents on important progress being made at the Senate and around his district,” Pishock explained. “Tightening copy, correcting grammar mistakes and applying the Senate’s style to maintain a distinct voice – these were all editing skills I had learned at Berry. I felt a surge of confidence as my edits were requested continuously over the course of the legislative session.”
Observing the intricacies of government in action was a practical and sometimes surprising experience.
“Politics is famously messy, but I witnessed in many senators a genuine concern to improve the lives of Georgians,” Pishock noted. “Their camaraderie and willingness to work across the aisle differed sharply from the messages most people see on television or social media, and I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to peek behind the curtain.”
Recent graduates often discover that fellow alumni can be a welcoming presence in the workplace. That was the case for Pishock, as Bell made a point of staying in contact throughout his internship.
“While the pace of the legislative session kept us busy, we still found moments to reminisce about the benefits of studying under Berry’s political science faculty,” he said.
What’s next for the politically savvy communications professional? For now, he’s excited to be back in Atlanta serving as a full-time communications associate in the Senate Press Office.
“Being a communications aide taught me the value of local politics, where real work is being done to facilitate positive change on a daily basis,” he reflected. “While I still hope to engage with foreign policy or diplomacy in the future, I am eager to continue my work at the Georgia State Capitol, investing in the communities that have helped me succeed thus far.
“Regardless of where life takes me, I know that I have the skill set to adapt and thrive.”
