Introducing AT’s 2010 Interns

Join us in welcoming our 2010 summer interns. They’ll be blogging on what it’s like to work at a monthly business magazine, business updates and current affairs.

CHELA COUNTS

George A. Lottier Golf Foundation
2010 Scholarship Recipient

Chela Counts is a 19-year-old sophomore at Western Kentucky University, and a graduate of Henry W. Grady High School in Atlanta. Although she is currently studying journalism, Counts plans on venturing out to discover what the field of public relations has in store for her. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends; writing for the published magazine Say It Loud, based out of her native Brooklyn, NY; roller-skating and painting. Her future goals include owning and operating her own PR firm as well as writing and traveling for newspapers and magazines across the globe.

NICOLE VACARELLA 
Georgia TeenWork Summer Intern

Atlanta native Nicole Vacarella attends Northview High School and will be a junior for the 2010-2011 school year. Her favorite subjects include creative writing, literature and politics — which she finds to be “hard-core and liberating.” Vacarella enjoys reading, watching plays, playing the piano, listening to music, drawing and photography. As a complement to her artsy side, she enjoys playing sports and has played soccer for 10 years. Alongside playing, she participates in the “Fellowship of Christian Athletes” club at school. Vacarella plans to eventually get a doctorate in psychology. Her inspiration comes mostly from her mother, who has taught her “you are only successful in life when you can accept yourself for who you truly are.” Vacarella enjoys the simple things in life that make her who she is and has high expectations for her future.

SHAMIAH BYRD
Georgia TeenWork Summer Intern

Though born and raised in Chicago, Ill., 17-year-old Shamiah Byrd is now a rising senior at Roswell, Ga.’s Centennial High School where she makes nothing less than an 88 average in all of her language arts classes. Byrd enjoys writing about almost anything, but has a particular passion for poetry. “I am truly blessed to be able to connect to poetry in the way that I do. I just hope to one day be able to share it and inspire others.” At New Mercies Christian Church, she is a part of the Gamma Phi Step Team and enjoys performing, making her teammates laugh and “showing out” when it’s show time. Byrd plans on pursuing a career in law.