Student Spotlight: Aviya Garg

Aviya Garg ventured out of her comfort zone for an internship and emerged with résumé-building experiences working under one of the most influential business executives in America. 

A senior majoring in public relations at the Newhouse School, Garg spent last summer at General Motors (GM) in Detroit working as an executive communications intern for Mary Barra, the CEO and chair of GM who was named Most Powerful Woman in Business in 2024 by Fortune. Garg went into the internship without knowing anyone in Michigan, let alone at GM.  

“I was scared,” Garg said. “I took a big leap of faith. … I was out there by myself, but it was the best work I could’ve taken.” 

One of Garg’s main responsibilities was responding to messages from GM customers sent to Barra’s office, which included those from survivors of serious car accidents who sought to thank Barra and her team. 

“Responding on behalf of Mary and letting them know, ‘Thank you for your loyalty. I’m so glad your family is okay.’ Really personalizing that message can really make someone feel so reassured after a scary car accident,” Garg said. “I never expected to be working on stories like that, and the fact that I gave some peace of mind and reassurance to those customers was awesome.” 

Garg was also responsible for preparing Barra for her day-to-day responsibilities, providing assistance with communications strategies, scripts and briefings for various appearances. 

A Newhouse internship award helped Garg pay for housing, travel and food during her 12 weeks in Detroit. She encourages other students to look into applying for an award if they’re interested in similar out-of-town internship opportunities.  

What Garg considers her biggest accomplishment in the Motor City was moderating a one-hour Q&A with Barra during the company’s Intern Day.  

“I got to sit on the stage with her and ask questions,” Garg said. “It really showed me how to be part of an event of a large scale and how to communicate with multiple teams which is something I hadn’t done before … I think my proudest moment was ending that Intern Day and coming off that stage and my friends and other interns telling me ‘That was so cool!’” 

Garg beamed with pride after Fortune released its 2024 Most Powerful Women in Business list in the fall.  

“It was a really full circle moment for me because I helped submit her application” for the honor, she said. “Last year, she was No. 9 on that list, and I joked that if we could get her up to No. 8, then I can sleep at night.” 

“So, when I woke up to my phone blowing up that she was No. 1 on that list, I started crying,” Garg added. “It was the cherry on top to a great internship.” 

After a rewarding summer in Michigan, Garg is busy concentrating on her role as firm director for Hill Communications, a student-run PR agency based at the Newhouse School that has 13 clients and over 80 members. 

“Being able to bring my experiences back after working under such an incredible leader, and then becoming a leader myself to so many students and supplying them with knowledge has been a great experience,” Garg said. “It’s exactly what I was hoping to do.” 

Garg hopes to eventually work in corporate communications, though she thinks she’ll start her career after graduation at an agency because she loves a fast-paced work environment. She thanks her professors and classmates in the public relations department at Newhouse for fostering a supportive culture. 

Garg said she was nervous when she arrived at Newhouse as a first-year student “that it would be really competitive and [cut-throat], but what I found instead is a community” that supports each other.  

“We share frustrations about finding jobs and keeping up with our fast-paced industries, what we’re assigned in class, and instead of turning against each other, I just found so much support.”