It’s not every day you wake up and think, “I’m going to apply for an internship across the country with Ellen DeGeneres,” but for Auburn University sophomore Kelley Andrews, this was certainly the case. The public relations student thought she would try it and see what happens. Fate stopped at her doorstep that day, and changed her plans for the upcoming summer.

After applying on-line, Andrews later received a phone call in May from The Ellen DeGeneres show asking if she would like to interview for the internship position. The 19-year-old flew out to Los Angeles to take part in a two hour interview session with 25 people high up in the Ellen DeGeneres Show family. Her warm personality and genuineness stuck out above the rest, allowing her to take part in something that will change her life. She moved back out there to intern from June through August and then it was back to the plains.

Her nine-hour workdays were filled with all sorts of duties that the show will benefit from for years to come. Andrews was responsible for taking all of Ellen’s documents from 2001-2008 and putting them in order, organizing a video system for the new Warner Brothers lot and cutting articles from magazines to add to the celebrity files. She was also responsible for going through fan mail, which is easily over 300 pieces a day, as well as reading thousands of e-mails sent into the show.

Being from Alabama, Andrews thought she would treat her co-workers by bringing in southern goodies every Monday. “Everyone out there is very conscious about what they eat, so I made sure to use sugar free or fat free ingredients when making the treats,” she said.

The transition from Auburn, Ala., to Burbank, Calif., allowed Andrews to live a different lifestyle from what she was used to. “It’s not a thing you would do your whole life, but I would like to go back and live for a few years.”

Although she worked at the show’s headquarters, Andrews never got the chance to meet the comedian herself. “Ellen was on hiatus for four of the weeks I was there, taking a break in Rome,” she said. “I never got to meet her, but I’m going back in January to work on a show and will meet her then.” She did note that they were working on script for the new season while she was vacationing abroad.

While Andrews moved out to California solo, she certainly left with friends she will never forget. “I still talk to the people I interned with everyday, through Facebook, phone and e-mails.”

Her last day on the job, she pitched show ideas to the producers from what she received through fan mail and e-mails. We can look out for some of those topics to be featured on the upcoming season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Every moment of her internship was her favorite part. It went very smoothly and nothing went wrong, the perfect experience one would hope for. “I learned so much from the people there,” she said. “It was a blessing for me to be able to go and something I will always hold on to.”



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