Hey there! My name is Ashley and I am the Spring 2021 Games Brand Writer Co-Op working remotely from Austin, Texas. My time here is coming to a close, but I have a lot to reflect on that I wanted to share with you! But first, let me introduce myself.

I am a third-year Radio-Television and Film Student at the University of Texas at Austin. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Film? But you’re a GAMES Brand Writer Co-Op.” I know, it’s crazy how things work out like that, right? Anyways, I love games. Video games, board games, card games, you name it! The art of play is just so fascinating to me, so of course when I saw an opening at Hasbro as a Games Brand Writing Co-Op, I applied right away. And you know what? I actually didn’t get the position. However, I really REALLY wanted to work here, so I applied the next semester and was offered the position for Spring 2021. Woo!

Not going to lie, I was actually very nervous for my first week at Hasbro. I specialized mostly in television and video game writing, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I started my first day meeting my team, the Family+ Games Team. They were all so fantastic! I got to meet with them all individually and they were simply the best. They really helped reassure me about what to expect and even told me about their first experiences at Hasbro (which most of them had previously been co-ops) which really got be stoked for my journey.

My mentor was the best! She really cared about what I wanted from my Co-Op at Hasbro and allowed me to take charge on the projects I was most passionate about. She let me take the reins while making sure I learned how to do the job, and do it right! It definitely felt like I had jumped into the deep end of the pool at the start of my internship, but I am so thankful to have gotten the opportunity to do that because I am much more confident in my abilities now. There is still plenty for me to learn about writing for games, but I really got a good grasp of what roles brand writers play in games by going in headfirst. There are a couple games that I got to write almost all of the content for and I feel particularly passionate about them.

Anyways, enough about me. Let’s talk about you, future Hasbro intern! How can you make the most out of this fantastic experience? I have some recommendations for you: Don’t be afraid to speak up! See a project you feel passionate in? Have an idea on how to make a Hasbro product EVEN COOLER? Have questions (you will, trust me) or curiosities? Tell someone about it! No matter what, Hasbro will benefit from what you have to say. Jump in headfirst, don’t be afraid of failure! If you make mistakes, even better! So long as you learn from them, of course.

I have become a better writer and person through my time here at Hasbro and fully believe you can do the same. I’m so thankful for working with the Family+ Games Team. I truly feel lucky! To anyone who is blessed with the same opportunity; make the most of it!

Ashley Poprik