Get to know Julie! MVDA's Social Media & PR Intern

Since February, Julie Larios has been the friendly face behind much of the Mount Vernon Downtown Association's social media, as well as the writer behind many of the feature stories spotlighting local downtown businesses.

As her internship comes to a close, we wanted our community to get to know a little more about Julie, whom many of you have already come to know and love! 

Julie’s internship came through a partnership the MVDA created with WWU’s Journalism Department in 2024. She is the MVDA’s second PR/social media intern (and definitely not the last!). When asked what drew her to apply, Julie said that Mount Vernon's downtown reminded her of Ridgefield, her hometown, and that familiarity is what felt so appealing.

"Mount Vernon feels so homey and community-oriented," she said. "I feel like a part of the community, not just someone working for the downtown association."

Julie’s Role at the MVDA  

As the MVDA's social media and PR intern, Julie's work covers a lot of ground. She creates social media content, writes feature stories and small business spotlights on downtown shops, and helps with whatever else the team needs, often during event preparations like the Tulip Festival Street Fair. 

One thing we love about Julie is her willingness to take initiative and give anything a shot. Throughout this internship, she has been faced with many new challenges and has met all of them head-on with a cheerful can-do attitude and a smile on her face. 

When asked about her experience, Julie says she's gotten to do far more hands-on work than many of her peers with other internships. "Having an internship in general is such a privilege and such a rare opportunity," she said. "Being able to do so much work and gain so much experience, I feel so blessed."

Lessons Learned

The two things that Julie says she's had the most growth in throughout her internship are her video-making and interviewing skills.

For her small business spotlights, Julie interviews business owners and creates short-form videos for social media so that community members can see a glimpse into what makes that small business special. Every downtown Mount Vernon business owner who has had the pleasure of being interviewed by Julie can attest to her skill in making interviews fun and comfortable, and turning short videos into something really engaging. "She came prepared, asked thoughtful questions, took a short video, and then proceeded to portray Dorothea succinctly and accurately," said Conor Mahoney, owner of Dorothea Coffee. "Julie has done an incredible job capturing and promoting our downtown."

While it may be hard to believe, Julie says she used to be very nervous to conduct interviews. "Now I feel so confident," she said. "I feel a lot more safe to just be myself in an interview." She says the MVDA internship has helped her let go of the idea that interviews have to feel rigid, and has helped her be more comfortable simply talking with people.

This has carried over into everyday life downtown, too. "I'm walking down the street and I just say hi to a local business owner because I know them now," she said. "That's so fun."

Favorite Memory

When asked about her favorite project from her internship, Julie confidently said the Tulip Festival Street Fair.

"That was just amazing," she said. "I loved being down here every day, seeing all the people. It felt like summer even though it was spring, it was the best atmosphere, the best environment." The Street Fair was also her first real deep dive into hands-on social media work. "It was probably the best experience I could ask for. It was just pure fun."

Advice for Future Interns

If you or someone you know is a journalism or PR major at WWU or SVC, this internship might be a good fit! 

In Julie’s opinion, a great candidate would be:

• A people person. You need to love meeting new people! 

• Open to new experiences, including ones you didn't necessarily study for. 

• Not afraid to work independently. 

As for what students stand to gain through this internship at the MVDA, Julie would say: comfort talking to new people, interviewing skills, and experience in feature writing. "A lot of times schools prioritize news writing," she said, "but PR really stands on feature writing and artistic writing." That style of writing "hacks at a different part of your brain," she explained, “perfect for anyone who loves getting into the details of a story”. 

From Julie, to MV

When asked if there was anything else she’d like to share, Julie said: "I love Mount Vernon so much. It honestly feels so much like home". She brings friends downtown regularly and counts Babe Rainbow Antiques, Dilly Dally, and the Co-op among her favorite local shops to browse.

"It's definitely going to be a place I miss, and I'm going to come back to," she said. "Mount Vernon, you're so lucky that you get to live so close to a downtown that's so community-oriented. There's a genuine love here for each other and for people. Be grateful for where you live; it's such a good place to hang out"

The MVDA is so grateful to have worked with Julie, and we will be holding her to her promise of coming back and visiting often! 

If you see Julie out and about these next few weeks, be sure to thank her and wish her well! 

This internship will be open as of October 2026, and the MVDA will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis.