Graphic Design for a Rebranded Non-profit

How did you secure your internship?

As part of the Applied Humanities Major, I was included in the College of Humanities and Public & Applied Humanities Department Listservs. Being a part of these listservs had many benefits ranging from announcements for future events, campus resources, updates from the department, and announcements from Stephanie Springer, the Internship Director. Stephanie Springer served as a very active and helpful individual in aiding students find an internship and creating a plan that not only met the requirements of the program but that was interesting and catered to other responsibilities as a student. After receiving an email of possible internship opportunities, one working with the Tucson Center for Black Life / Tucson’s Afro-Heritage Museum caught my eye. I emailed the contact provided in the email and next thing I set up an interview via zoom. I shared some of my previous work experiences and projects. Over a week and meeting with two of the organization's head supervisors I earned a spot with the organization.

What was the focus of your internship?

The primary focus of my internship was centered around working with a team in revamping and rebranding the Afro-Heritage Museum to its new identity as the Tucson Center for Black life. Graphic design, web creation, and creativity were skills that the organization sought out in its potential interns. Another main focus of the team was to inventory many of the museum items to get them ready for digitalization to be placed on web pages and social media. As my individual part within the team my task was to develop mock logo ideas for a hired professional logo developer for the Tucson Center for Black Life. During the duration of this task I received input from my internship supervisor in the identity and legacy she envisioned the potential of the Tucson Center for Black Life to live up to. I experimented with different typography, designs, and fonts.

What advice do you have for other students as they search for or begin their internship?

For a student searching for an internship the first piece of advice I would give is to utilize networking, attending career fairs, looking for internship listings online through platforms like LinkedIn and Handshake. It is also very beneficial to apply to numerous internships ahead of time rather than stressing at the last minute and because some internship applications have preferred deadlines.

I would also like to say to learn and make the most of your internship. Communicate, network, and really engage yourself. Try to use the internships to gain perspective on new career fields and develop new knowledge and skills. Internships can be the bridge to a potentially new and exciting career path.