Diana Kong is the new Strategy Intern

September 3, 2014 By Digital Operative,

Hi I’m Diana, some call me DK…yes like Donkey Kong. I’m from McFarland, a little city located in obscure Central California, where it often smell like cows and miles of grapevines and almond orchards stand in 107°F summers. But having spent a lot of my childhood in San Francisco, the Bay Area has a special place in my heart. Fun fact: Disney is making a movie on an inspirational story of our high school’s cross country team. It’s called “McFarland,” look out for it! I get excited about pretty much any adrenaline-pumping activity, which includes but not limited to swimming through caves, jumping off cliffs, or being in the front seat of roller coasters. I love blank space, natural light, and aesthetics. Coming from a background of design and research experience, the Strategy team immediately stood out to me, as it was a good blend of critical thinking, logic, creativity, and intuition.

1. Where do you go to School? What is your Major? When do you plan on graduating?

I am actually a recent graduate of UC San Diego! Well, technically I’m 4 units away. Majored in International Studies with a focus in Economics and Business minor. Definitely going to miss the convenient 20-minute walk to the beach.

2. How did you hear about Digital Operative?

Through the former Strategy intern, Andrew Kang. We were in a marketing team (Adwave) that worked on this gnarly project, and he got us an exclusive tour of the DO agency. Besides the insightful and talented people we had a chance to meet, I was sold when I heard DO celebrates Take Your Dog to Work Day on a weekly basis.

3. What do you hope to learn from your internship?

Get a taste of the real world. I want to learn all the ins and outs about how Strategy trickles through a project’s life cycle. I hope to invigorate my mind, learn how to make connections, and understand the dynamics of strategy, even beyond the realm of marketing.

4. 1 week down - 11 to go…How do you feel after your first week of interning?

Soaking up information like a sponge. I am excited to see how my research can contribute to the final product. I feel nothing but good vibes when I walk into the agency, and with every task I watch myself becoming more of a professional. Plus I love the wide array of snacks available in the kitchen.

5. What do you hope to do after completing your internship and graduating from college?

Sail through life with my high-risk tendencies. But the plan is to take my degree and experience and expand my learning internationally. I want to run away to Shanghai, China and start off post-grad with teaching English. Education has always been a cause I hold dearly, and it’d be the perfect opportunity to practice my broken Chinese.

6. Tell us something interesting about yourself?

I went through a phase once where I wanted to chop off all my hair, not once but twice, (because the first time wasn’t short enough) and I ended up looking like a male Korean pop star. Diana's nickname should be "speedracer" - she always finishes her projects quickly and is eager to get moving onto the next.