Students bring an authentic perspective to how schools tell their stories online. At Class Intercom, we empower schools to safely involve students as content creators — creating opportunities for student voices is at the heart of what we do. That commitment extends beyond our platform. We invest in student content creators ourselves through initiatives like our internship program, where we bring on talented, driven students to help create content for our brand.
This summer, we brought on Kalen Knott, a senior marketing student and Division I pole vaulter at Bryant University. As a student-athlete, he’s used content creation to build a personal brand in the world of NIL, and this summer he brought that athletics background and content-creation experience to the Class Intercom team. He’s contributed to social media, long-form video, field marketing strategy, webinars, and content writing — all while getting a front-row seat to our recent brand refresh. We sat down with Kalen to talk about juggling athletics, content creation, and an internship all at once, and how the experience is shaping his path toward a career in marketing.
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Kalen, and I’m from Seward, Nebraska. This fall, I’ll be heading into my senior year at Bryant University in Rhode Island, where I compete on the track and field team as a pole vaulter and have won four conference championships. Alongside athletics, I’m pursuing a degree in marketing with double minors in history and sociology, and I’m looking to pursue a career in brand marketing.
What do you do in your free time?
When I’m not training, most of my free time goes toward cooking — or at least attempting to — and golfing with friends. I’ve also used some of that time to build a personal brand on social media, which has led to partnerships with brands like Vuori, a top performance and athleisure clothing brand, and C4, a leading nutrition and energy drink brand.
Tell us about the projects you work on at Class Intercom.
Joining Class Intercom has given me hands-on experience working on projects like expanding our content library, creating social posts, building long-form content, and even creating my own social media series that addresses education topics from the perspective of a student. Working alongside this team has been incredibly insightful. What I’ve appreciated most is that I haven’t been on the sidelines — I get to be involved in creative and strategic decisions and am constantly being pushed to learn new things. A highlight has been getting to be part of a rebrand, an experience that has accelerated my growth in brand strategy and design thinking.
“I haven’t been on the sidelines — I get to be involved in creative and strategic decisions and am constantly being pushed to learn new things.”
Kalen Knott, Content Intern at Class Intercom
How do you juggle being a student-athlete, content creator, and intern all at once?
Balancing student-athlete life, content creation, and an internship took a lot of trial and error, especially when it came to time management and staying motivated. Between all of my commitments, free time is limited. When I get it, you’ll usually find me cooking my favorite meal — general tso and fried rice — or winding down with a movie. But whether I’m filming content for Class Intercom or for myself, I’ve loved every step of the process.
What skills or experiences from athletics and content creation have translated most into your work at Class Intercom?
Coming from an athletics background, I’ve always had a mindset of seeking feedback and making small adjustments to keep improving. I quickly realized that mindset applied just as much to my internship at Class Intercom. It’s taught me to ask questions, stay curious, and learn from the people around me with more experience. I’ve been fortunate to work with a team that’s incredibly knowledgeable in things like brand management and storytelling — skills you don’t always pick up in a classroom. Learning from them has helped me grow while contributing to the team’s success.
How do you think this experience will shape your career after athletics?
This experience has opened my eyes to what my future career could look like. Like a lot of athletes, I’ve had a lot of questions about what life will look like after graduation. But this internship has lit a spark in me and made me excited to pursue a career in marketing. There are endless opportunities in this field, and it calls for a level of creativity that keeps every day new and challenging.
What’s the hardest part of content creation that people don’t see?
The hardest part of content creation that people often overlook is consistency. It takes time and dedication toward a goal that doesn’t always yield immediate results — real success comes from planning and execution, not just one good post or one exciting story. It’s a skill I still struggle with while building my own brand, but I understand how important it is and the impact it can have on your brand as a whole.
What advice would you give other student-athletes trying to navigate internships or career paths?
Just go for it! So often we feel like we’re not qualified or knowledgeable enough to pursue an opportunity, but once you take that leap, you quickly realize that new paths give you the chance to learn and grow even further. You won’t always know the answer to every question, but that’s what makes the experience so important. Plus, building the right connections can open doors you didn’t even know existed, and the right people will lend support when you need it most. So take that leap — you won’t regret it!
How has your early start in content creation helped you in your career path?
I started out creating athletic and training content on Instagram my sophomore year of college. Getting into content creation early gave me a sneak peek into how the professional world actually works. Before I had a job title, I was already working with brands on campaigns, learning how workflows come together and how collaboration and feedback shape a final product. Beyond that, going through the full process myself — planning, filming, editing, delivering — taught me marketing from the ground up. These are lessons you have to learn from doing the work, making mistakes, and doing it again. That hands-on experience is what makes me feel ready for my career when I graduate.
Interested in learning more about Class Intercom’s internship program? Drop us a line at info@classintercom.com or visit our Careers page below.