STORY BY Catherine Hamrick
Photography by Brant Sanderlin
Asked to describe herself in three words, Annabelle Norton (24C) doesn’t miss a beat: “Curious. Creative. Confident.”
Ben Lord (20C) spotted these qualities upon meeting Norton at a 2023 networking event sponsored by Berry’s LifeWorks program. Sensing potential, he passed along a lead for a summer social media internship with IEX, a national securities exchange facilitating the trading of U.S. equities.
The opportunity to take a bite out of the Big Apple proved irresistible to the communication and English major with on-campus work experience as PR coordinator for Viking Fusion and communication manager for the Office of Diversity and Belonging.
“Upon researching the company and reading about IEX’s story and values, I knew I wanted to work there,” Norton said. “Ben guided me through the process of applying to the company. I couldn’t be more thankful for Ben’s mentorship and the kindness of the IEXers who interviewed me.”
Arriving solo, she quickly found herself navigating an unfamiliar landscape on foot.
“When I first got to New York, the biggest culture shock was the ability to walk everywhere instead of sitting in an hour of Atlanta traffic to travel a mile,” she recalled. “I was unbelievably nervous, but getting outside my comfort zone and just exploring – whether that looked like a 30-minute walk around the East Village or a 30-minute train ride to another borough for an event – not only showed me how capable I am to rise to a challenge but also allowed me to experience a lifestyle I had not yet lived.”
With a firm grounding in social media but limited financial knowledge, Norton plunged into the business world, joined by a cohort of 22 interns from 17 states. Benefiting from “jump-start” sessions offering necessary insight into fundamental aspects of IEX’s business and operations, Norton took on the challenge of expanding audiences in the tech, retail and finance industries through LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter). Of particular emphasis were promising young professionals who might be interested in a career with IEX.
She went into the role hoping to build on knowledge and skills gained at Berry, and it did not disappoint. Norton dove into the analytical side of social media and content creation, explaining, “Most of my previous experience was within the realm of design and calendar planning, but at IEX I got hands-on experience in navigating analytical suites and interpreting data to drive business objectives and tell their story in a meaningful way to a maximized audience.”
At the same time, collaboration with IEX’s marketing and communications team provided an industry insider perspective on the vast array of projects across business groups.
“The coolest part about this internship was being able to see everything I’ve learned about in class in action,” she stated. “I learned about the events that they plan for different clients, their relationships with different business publications, and their strategy regarding which audiences they want to meet with each campaign.
“My manager, Sarah Karlovich, taught me a tremendous amount about content strategy, as each week she showed me how the data I collected and analyzed not only told the marcomms team a story about the consumer but also allowed us to tell the consumer a better story in the future.”
Such knowledge kindled an even greater appreciation for the ways in which Norton’s two Berry majors complement each other.
“Communication and English go so well together because at the end of the day, their primary focus is to master creative storytelling that has intention and purpose,” she reflected. “I’ve come to think of building a brand in a similar way to telling a good story. Both need plot, dynamic characters and, above all, a guiding theme and message.”
Norton’s NYC adventure landed her a dream job even before graduation. She’s now an account coordinator for the Arketi Group, the marketing company she worked with while at IEX.
Thanks to a connection facilitated by alum Ben Lord and her courage to explore, Norton discovered she can make it anywhere — with all the swagger of Sinatra singing “New York, New York.”
