Some of Devin Zerbe’s best memories of growing up in Venango County, Pennsylvania, were made in Franklin.

Every fall, for as long as he can remember, Zerbe and his family have ushered in autumn at the city’s three-day Apple Fest. Every holiday season has been heralded by the festivities of Light Up Night. When the family seeks theatrical experiences – whether as participants or attendees – those moments happen at Barrow Civic Theatre.

And to further sweeten the pot, Grandma lives in Franklin, too.

When Zerbe, a PennWest Clarion junior majoring in communications with a digital media focus, learned that Franklin’s Community Development department had an internship opening, he immediately pursued it. This summer, Zerbe is providing marketing and event support to help other individuals and families make the kinds of memories that he holds dear.

He found the internship through PennWest’s Handshake, an interactive, online platform where students can search for and apply to jobs, internships and on-campus student employment. The internship was funded through a grant from the McElhattan Foundation, which helps PennWest students access meaningful, career-shaping experiences in Clarion and Venango counties.

“It looked really interesting, because I’m attached to Franklin. I’ve been coming here my whole life,” Zerbe said. “When I saw that it was with the events team, I thought I might learn about the background of the events.”

The opportunity checks the boxes for gaining experience that will help him professionally.

“A lot of what I do is graphic design work for the social media events page: announcements, flyers, signage that might be printed out,” he said. “The work, so far, is for events in the future like the Rock in River Festival, and I’ve helped to conceptualize some new projects.”

He’s been involved in Makers Minds, a new program started by Franklin Industrial & Commercial Development Authority.

“Makers Minds is located at Franklin Curb Market. It’s an opportunity for children ages 18 and below to set up a station and sell things they’ve made themselves,” Zerbe said. “I’m on the team that helps with that.”

New situations can be challenging, but Zerbe seeks opportunities for growth.

“I’m constantly checking with my supervisors. ‘Is this OK? Do you think I’m on the right track?’ Sometimes, my work gets turned down,” Zerbe said. “They might say, ‘What you’re doing here is good, but it’s not what we want.’ It’s the first time I’m in a situation that I spend a few days working on something that might not be used.”

He enjoys getting the feedback.

“When I get that constructive criticism, it makes me better at what I’m doing and helps me know how to better do things the next time,” he said.

More often, though, he nails it.

“This year, they wanted an entirely new design scheme for Rock in River. They’ve been using the same fonts and color palette the last few years. This year, they had me remake everything from the ground up,” Zerbe said. “My drafts didn’t need a lot of tweaks.”

Zerbe, who grew up in Seneca and graduated in 2023 from Cranberry High School, said PennWest Clarion has always been a top option for furthering his education. Many family members, including his father, uncles and aunts, are Clarion alumni.

“I already knew a lot about it. I knew I wanted to stay kind of close (to home). It was the first place I toured,” he said.

He enrolled as a business major, but he changed to digital media last spring.

“I feel like that’s the direction a lot of companies are going in. Digital media is the main format of marketing,” he said, noting the trend toward social media and away from television and newspapers.

He felt, too, that a career in digital media afforded more opportunities to write.

“I really enjoy writing; I’d like writing to be a good part of what I do. It’s a big strength of mine,” he said.

Although he shifted his focus, the business classes – particularly marketing – are beneficial to the work he’s doing with Franklin’s Community Development, and his overall experience at Clarion has helped him learn professionalism.

“I’m more mature when I interact with people. I know how to write more professional emails, how to seek the appropriate people when I need help. Those types of things have helped me prepare for what I’m doing now,” he said.

When the fall semester begins and the internship ends, Zerbe looks forward to seeing the work he’s done being used in Franklin’s marketing.

As he looks toward the future, Zerbe thinks he might like to work in the sports field, but for now, he’s learning and gaining experience. He’s placed a bullseye on helping people.

“I would like to do something that has an impact on my community. Digital media can reach a lot of people. Hopefully, I can do something that will have an impact on people,” he said.