Fall 2016 Intern Diaries: Meet Our New Fall Intern, Derrick!

Hi everyone!

My name is Derrick Bills and I am the new intern at Rountree Communications. I am a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations. Both of my parents were in the military, so as a military brat, I have lived in a number of places around the world such as South Korea, Germany, Virginia and Hawaii. Growing up in a family that tended to move every couple of years, I have a strong, innate desire to travel and explore new places as often as possible (but don’t feel like you can label me as one of those “not all who wander are lost” weirdos – no need to make things cheesy with quotes taken out of context, ok?).

A few other places where I’ve spent some time include Taiwan, Nepal and a number of European countries. Asia is probably my favorite continent (good food and good people – what’s not to like?) and the past two years of my life have involved taking lots of trips out to various nations in that part of the world. My favorite food is anything from Dame’s Chicken & Waffles in downtown Durham (I know what you’re thinking, but the chicken and waffle combination has the potential to beat PB&J out for best combo of all time), and if I had to pick a favorite dessert, I would have to choose pecan pie (it’s pronounced pe-CAN, not pe-CON, for anyone who was wondering…).

Some of my hobbies include reading any book written by C.S. Lewis, taking photos of landscapes and fun friends frolicking in said landscapes and playing pick-up soccer as often as possible. I dabble in a range of board games, especially Settlers of Catan and I am a strong proponent of settling disputes with my roommates by playing Fifa on the Xbox or Playstation (either console is acceptable, but Xbox is preferable).

On a more serious note, after I graduate I would like to do one of two things: either 1) stay in the area and work for an agency or organization as a PR professional or 2) move to Los Angeles and utilize my photography and videography skills alongside my PR capabilities working for a company on the West Coast (any takers? I’ll drive cross-country…I’m serious). Eventually, I would love to take this type of work overseas and live abroad, experiencing a brand new culture and working in PR or photography.

I am a huge fan of the television show Parks and Rec, and I have been told by multiple people that I remind them of Jean-Ralphio (if you’re familiar with the show, you’ll understand why I can’t decide whether or not that’s a compliment). To continue with the visual media trend, my favorite movies are Moneyball, Silver Linings Playbook, Remember the Titans and The Way Way Back. I have eclectic taste in music, so I can listen to most anything!

And there you have it – glad I could share some of myself with you all and I’m excited to work at RC for the next few months! Stay tuned for more posts as I continue with my work this semester.

-Derrick Bills