By Rachele Terranova
The daunting task of securing a summer internship rears its head every year. Weeks and even months of anxious email refreshing and waiting for just one reply can be brutal. This year, multiple SCAD students have received their golden ticket. From Philadelphia to New York City and even Houston, students will be interning all around the country. The students shared the experiences that drove them towards success for this upcoming summer.
Rachel Proctor : Free People – Photography
Through a six-month process of mood boards, interviews and waiting, third-year student Rachel Proctor was accepted at Free People. She will serve as this year’s Digital Tech Intern at the Philadelphia headquarters where she’ll be the studio assistant in charge of editing and retouching. She also has the opportunity to complete weekly personal assignments for the company. A previous internship at Poppin in NYC prompted her love for working at a brand’s in-house studio as opposed to freelance work. “I got to work with everyone, and I found that working with a team is something I really liked,” Proctor said.
Benefits : paid, big name, interest in company
Will Burkart : Gentlemen’s Scholar – Motion Media Design
Many students attend SCAD’s career fair in hopes of finding an internship or post-graduation job offer, but not many are familiar with the CoMotion conference. This student-sponsored event brings together industry professionals and Motion Media Design students. Third-year student Will Burkart was on the planning committee for this event. “Companies come here every year because they know SCAD’s reputation in the Motion Media industry for having the best up-and-coming artists,” Burkhart said. Through portfolio reviews and self-promotion at this event, Burkhart was noticed by eight companies. Gentlemen’s Scholar, whose founder graduated from SCAD, sought him out prior to meeting at the event. This is a rare case in the world of internships but one that allowed him the freedom to weigh his options and negotiate offers.
Benefits : paid, bustling location, SCAD alumni run
Brice Morgan : Vicarious Visions – ITGM (video game development)
Third-year student Brice Morgan was offered an internship unintentionally under the impression she was applying for a portfolio review with Vicarious Visions. They were impressed with her portfolio and believed her work would fit the style of their company. Her main goal was to find a company that matched her interests and style of art, and Vicarious Visions was the perfect match. “If I was going to give advice, I’d say just start applying. A lot of students are too afraid to apply, but if I hadn’t done so, nothing would have happened,” Morgan said.
Benefits : paid and housing, preferred art style, fan of games
Cassie Navarro : Target – Graphic Design
For the past few years, third-year student Cassie Navarro has been sending her portfolio to companies, and in return has been through the internship application process multiple times. Though she endured long waiting periods to hear back while studying in Hong Kong, she finally received an email that she’d landed an internship at her dream company. This summer she is helping Target with the production of weekly ads and even has the opportunity to be a part of a collaborative student project. “This experience with a paramount company has the possibility of opening so many doors for me,” Navarro said. Her experience is a testament to the reward that can come with hard work and dedication.
Benefits : paid and housing, prime company, meet many other students
Natalia Uribe González : HP – Design Management
Natalia Uribe Gonzalez received her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering but is shifting gears this summer. She landed an internship at HP with the research and management division. “Because the company’s engineering background, they are really concerned with having someone who understands the people and recognizes that the environment is unique,” Gonzalez said. The process required a simple application and a few interviews, and she heard back within a couple of weeks. Although she was accepted into the summer program, she won’t be interning in the traditional sense. She will be treated as a regular employee in essentially a “trial period” for a full-time position. This is a perk acquiring her previous degrees.
Benefits : paid and housing, big company, room for growth
