From Stampede Crew to Marketing Intern: Maya's First Two Summers
When Maya took a seasonal guest-services role at the Calgary Stampede the summer after Grade 11, she was mostly after spending money. Two summers later she was interning on a marketing team — and the through-line was everything she learned in that first job.
The first summer: showing up
"My job was answering questions and pointing people to gates. Boring, right? But I learned to stay calm with frustrated people and to actually listen." That composure became the story she told in every interview after.
The pivot: asking for more
Near the end of her second season she asked her supervisor if she could help with the team''s social posts. "I just asked. The worst they could say was no." She ended up drafting captions and pulling simple analytics.
What she''d tell her younger self
- Take the unglamorous job — the skills transfer.
- Ask for one stretch task before the summer ends.
- Keep a note of every win so your resume writes itself.
Maya found both roles by filtering for "High school" listings and applying early. Your first summer is closer than you think.