Full name: Katelyn Kroeger
Hometown: Grand Blanc, Michigan
Major and Class Standing: Apparel and Textile Design, Senior
Social Media Handle: Instagram: @katelyn_kroeger
Internship Company/Organization Name: U-Irish Diaspora Centre
Location of Internship: Remote
Program Type: Global Remote Internship Program
When working at the U-Irish Diaspora Centre my title was Design Intern. My roles and responsibilities included coordinating weekly meetings, responding to emails, reaching out to vendors, and creating mockup designs using the Adobe Suite. There was always a lot of moving parts on each project, so my day-to-day tasks varied. I usually started my workday with a short zoom meeting and was assigned my tasks for the day at that time.
I originally was supposed to participate in an in-person internship before the Covid-19 pandemic reached the United States. Once I was notified of its cancellation, The College of Arts and Letters reached out to me with information about remote internships and I excitedly applied through the Excel Network! From there the College of Arts and Letters helped me find the perfect internship site through a series of interviews.
My favorite part of my internship experience was being able to learn some history of my family’s heritage while working. My mom’s family is from Ireland and my supervisor, Brendan, was always sharing history facts with me. One thing that I do wish was different is the remote aspect. I can only imagine how extraordinary it would be to experience traveling to Ireland for work. I learned a lot just working remotely from home, but I can assume that I would have walked away with more knowledge if I would have had a hands-on experience.
A major skill that I took away from this experience is how to be self-efficient and effectively manage my time. I worked mostly alone so I had to make sure that I kept myself on track and completed tasks in a timely manner. My main piece of advice to those looking for an internship is to have an open mind. Some internships may not seem appealing to you for one reason or another, but you never know who you will connect with or what you’ll experience until you are there!
