Hometown: Grand Haven, Michigan
Major and class standing: Apparel and Textile Design, Senior
Where you interned at: Golden Stitch Design, Dublin, Ireland

What was your internship title and role/responsibilities?
I was a fashion Intern at Golden Stitch Design where my main role was to create different repeat patterns that reflected her company. I did lots of art and trend research and drew from that research to create new and trendy patterns that fit the style of Golden Stitch. Most of my research revolved around nature, as that is the main inspiration for Golden Stitch. I was responsible for creating original prints and repeat designs that could be used for women’s wear and I did this through several different types of media. I would then use computer programs like Adobe Photoshop to perfect the prints and turn them into a repeat so that they could be used in the production of new textiles for clothing.

How did you obtain your internship? What resources did you utilize to secure your internship?
I looked online for internship opportunities and I found the Global Remote Internship online through MSU. I then had to go through an application process, submit my resume, and have a short interview. From there I was connected with Connect123 where they asked me more about my interests and major to help find me an offer that would be beneficial for me. I was then matched with an offer which I could then decline or accept and I chose to accept one of my offers and proceeded to set up several calls with my supervisor to make sure everything was in place. Reaching out and communicating was key in this process of securing my internship.

What did your daily routine include?
My daily routine included waking up early to make sure that I could be online at a similar time as my supervisor. From Michigan to Dublin, Ireland, there is a 5-hour time difference and this was something that I had to adapt to and figure out how to plan my schedule around. Most days I would get up and check my email right away to see if my Connect123 provider had emailed me with any important information. In addition, I would check to see if I had any emails from my internship supervisor. I would contact her through email or WhatsApp to figure out what work needed to be done, or I would send over work I had just finished to receive feedback. Every once in a while we would schedule a call to talk more in-depth about my performance and she would screen share to show me the next steps or to explain a new project to me, along with teaching me new skills to help complete these projects.

Your favorite experience from the internship?
My favorite part about the internship was being able to work in the industry that I would end up in. I had never had an opportunity to have a job or internship that was in the fashion industry so it was super interesting and fulfilling to finally get to experience it. It was also nice to have a mentor to teach me new skills and tell me about how she started her company and what it is like to be a fashion designer every day. I really enjoyed working with her and would love to do something like this in the future.

What was your least favorite part of the internship?
My least favorite part about the internship was that communication took a while to adjust to. I am used to being in a school setting where professors give you all the resources and tell you everything that needs to be done. During my internship, I had to be the one to reach out and almost push to get feedback which I was not used to. I needed to do a lot more communicating back and forth to get a response but over the course of the internship, I was able to figure it out as I went.

What skills did you learn and/or build upon during your internship?
Skills that I built upon are communication, critical thinking skills, technology, and self-development. I went through a lot of self-development because I realized that if I am going into this industry, I want to work for a company that advocates for sustainable fashion and strays away from fast fashion. I want to work within a place that tries to make the industry better but also tries to make the world better. If I were to work at a place that supports fast fashion, I would be part of the problem and I don’t want that to be my role in the fashion industry. I learned to communicate with the time change and I learned that it isn’t you being annoying if you have to reach out to someone several times to schedule a meeting or receive feedback. In fact, lots of times you need to push people just for things to get done and it is okay to ask questions. I used my critical thinking skills to help me with technology. I used the knowledge that I already had, mixed with other resources like YouTube to help me figure out ways to complete projects in a way that was easy for me. I also bettered my technology skills by pushing myself to use platforms I am not familiar with to complete projects. I experimented and got familiar with tools and was able to better my technology skills throughout the internship.

What did you learn about the industry or your career path as a result of the internship? What are your future plans?
What I learned about my industry or career path is the fact that designing takes so much time. In school we have a few weeks for a project and then we submit it and get a grade and we are done. In the fashion world, you don’t just complete the project and that’s it. You revisit it and rework it to perfection and make sure that it is something that not only you like, but other people like as well. In the fashion industry you can’t just design for yourself, you need to design for other people as well. My future plans are to work for an industry that tries its best to be sustainable and strays away from fast fashion. The company I worked for followed this idea and I look up to the company for the way that it doesn’t support fast fashion in an effort to help make the world a better place.

What advice do you have for other students seeking out internship opportunities?
Advice that I give other students seeking out internship opportunities is that even if you are remote, you can still learn a lot. I am someone who likes to be more hands-on so when I first started my internship I was a little skeptical. Throughout the internship, I realized that with things being remote, you can still participate and get things done just as much. Because of Covid, many things have transitioned to online anyway. Having a remote internship does not mean you are missing out and in fact, it allows you to build on skills in different ways than if you were to be in person.