VALDOSTA STATE MAGAZINE 49 IMPACT In addition to curating the company’s social media pages, including an Instagram page that she started, Taylor has designed bold, modern branding materials — such as pricing sheets and story cards — that help elevate and refresh the brand’s image. She has also assisted with the launch of a new product, Kevin’s Corn Mill, by researching packaging options. Taylor has been working to increase the business’s client base by putting together contact lists, reaching out to potential clients, and helping to build sample kits to send to chefs. Gayla’s Grits has added several new restaurants to its client list since Taylor’s internship began. “She’s been great; she knows everything,” noted Gayla. She said Gayla’s Grits would not be at its current level of brand awareness without Taylor. “It’s been amazing to partner with Chloe and with VSU. VSU has just been awesome, and Darrell has been very helpful.” Taylor said she has enjoyed utilizing her VSU education in a real-world setting. “I’ve definitely been able to have a big hands-on experience with this internship,” she said. “At previousinternships,I’vejustbeeninthebackground learning, but this has really put me right in it. And because of my education at VSU, I felt like I was prepared to come in and really collaborate with Gayla.Shehadideas,butIalsohadideas,andIfelt prepared to give those ideas and grow with them. “It also means a lot to help a local business. I’m from here, so it’s great to take something from my home and help them grow.”