From social media posts to public memos, how municipalities communicate with residents is a delicate art one where every word and visual can shape how people engage with their government.
It's something third-year communication, media and film student Adrian Yonan learned firsthand during his internship with the Town of Tecumseh.
"It was very eye-opening," Yonan said. "Before this role, I didn't realize how much I could help people with communications. It's all about learning to build that trust.
"You have to be wary of the kind of power you hold as someone in communications or design. You can start a huge reaction. People are constantly on social media, and there's so much misinformation everything feels heightened online."
Yonan spent four months working for the Town, where he was paid and earned two course credits. He found the position online, applied and credited the placement toward his degree.
"By the first month, I knew I was doing something cool and meaningful. I'm really interested in political science and how media design and politics come together, especially with so much of political culture now online," he said.
"We get a lot of feedback at the Town because people are passionate about their communities. Sharing information about elections, budgets and infrastructure updates was really valuable, and I learned a lot through that."
Designs Adrian Yonan worked on during his internship with the Town of Tecumseh. (Courtesy Adrian Yonan/ University of Windsor)
Following Yonan's internship with the Town of Tecumseh, the municipality allocated funding in its 2026 budget to support a communications internship each year open to University of Windsor students.
"I think they really saw a need for that kind of digital skill set, so they included it in the budget," he said. "Now, any student at the University who wants to get some experience can do this."
Yonan gained hands-on experience on high-impact projects including graphic design, video and photography, promotional campaigns and writing policies.
In fact, when the nomination period begins in May for the fall municipal election, his designs will be front and centre.
"I designed the visual brand identity they'll be using," he said. "They wanted to re-energize younger voters. In the past, they used the same look every four years and just updated the dates, but this time they were looking for something more striking and better suited for digital communications.
"There was a lot of back and forth between departments, since elections are a serious process with strict policies and branding guidelines, but they ended up loving it. It was a really fun project to work on."
Designs Adrian Yonan worked on during his internship with the Town of Tecumseh. (Courtesy Adrian Yonan/ University of Windsor)
He received mentorship throughout.
"They were very supportive of anything I wanted to learn. On my first day, they brought me to a café and asked what I hoped to get out of the experience," Yonan said. "I'm grateful to Amanda Circelli, Mackenzie Vandenberg and Shaun Fuerth for their support throughout my time there.
"There was a lot of collaboration, and I got to connect with people across different departments. I took headshots, attended networking events and conferences it was a really positive atmosphere."
Yonan said the role is what you make it.
From left to right: Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara, former communications offer with the Town of Tecumseh Mackenzie Vandenberg and University of Windsor student Adrian Yonan. (Courtesy Adrian Yonan/ University of Windsor)
"Being positive and open goes a long way," Yonan said.
"Clear, open communication with supervisors and colleagues is key. People respond to that energy, and it can lead to future opportunities. I'd encourage communications and marketing students to put themselves out there, apply for opportunities and take up space."
His time with the Town has led him to pursue further opportunities in government, and he recently started a job with the Municipality of Lakeshore.
"My program helped me understand how advertising and digital culture shape our world, both positively and negatively, and it's led me toward the public sphere," Yonan said.
"I'm interested in seeing where that takes me and in doing work that's centred on serving people."
