Hometown: Northville, Michigan
Major and class standing: English, Senior
Instagram: @roseebutler
Where you interned: MSU Arts and Collections, East Lansing, Michigan
What was your internship title and role/responsibilities?
I am an Arts and Collections project planning intern, working on an arts initiative titled “Arts4u”. I work for the associate provost of the Arts and Collections department, Judith Stoddart. Arts4u is focused on curating and organizing art and music-centric pop-up events hosted specifically for students, by students. Our mission revolves around locating new and imaginative spaces across MSU’s campus to promote awareness of the arts in unexpected ways. As Dr. Stoddart’s intern, I attend 3-5 meetings per week to plan the pop-up experiences. These meetings are oftentimes with our frequent collaborators at the STEM building, the College of Nursing, and the MSU Dining Halls. Each meeting is normally between 15 and 45 minutes long and works to find dates and times for future pop-ups. For this internship, I send 4-8 emails per week to coordinate meetings, confirm any event details, and reach out to new collaborators. I also create event descriptions, write-ups, and QR code surveys studying students and faculty interaction with the music and art on campus. Once the pop-up’s conclude, I document the content, attendance, and QR code survey results to keep track of each event that Arts4U has created.
How did you obtain your internship? What resources did you utilize to secure your internship?
I found my internship through an email from Maggie Harris, letting the English undergrad list know about an internship surrounding project planning within the arts. I then wrote a cover letter about my experience in the arts, and had Maggie review it before emailing it to Judith Stoddart. Later that month, Dr. Stoddart and I met for an interview. During our interview, I told her about my interest in creating arts awareness on areas of our campus that needed more activity. It was helpful to know that Dr. Stoddart was in search of an intern who was interested in the arts. Before our meeting I made a list of questions to ask her, as well as a few projects that I would like to work on if given the opportunity.
What did your daily routine include?
My daily routine varies based on the day. During the week, I check my email for any responses and reply as early as I can in the day. On the given day, I will attend 1-2 meetings to plan projects, and add to my list of updates that I share with Dr. Stoddart and my intern partner at the end of the week.
Your favorite experience from the internship?
This semester, I got to help host live music at the dining halls. While at each location, students and faculty were taking videos and pictures of the performances. Many, if not all of the patrons were super excited by the music in an area they often visit.
What was your least favorite part of the internship?
Sending emails and attending meetings can be a very tedious process. On occasion, it is hard to stay motivated when presenting the same information to different collaborators. My least favorite part is frequently having to send follow-up emails.
What skills did you learn and/or build upon during your internship?
I learned even more about time management this semester. Project planning and management has a lot of waiting involved. I have found the best times to send emails, schedule meetings, and send follow ups based on staff responses and typical availability. With that in mind, I often have to coordinate multiple different schedules and projects at once. It can be difficult to ensure that I do not overbook myself or double book meetings, and this semester I gained a better understanding of how to go about these situations. I also built on organizational skills when creating event descriptions, lists of updates, and recapping after meetings. I frequently need to reorganize notes from every meeting in order to create a to-do list for myself and keep track of my responsibilities.
What did you learn about the industry or your career path as a result of the internship? What are your future plans?
I love project management for many reasons. There is so much control and freedom in this internship, and I am never afraid to bring up ideas for new projects that might not fit the theme of previous projects. I learned that planning in the arts can be a long process, and even minor events can take immense amounts of coordination. Each project has several moving parts and depends on each collaborator involved. Over the course of this internship I have come to understand that project planning is a very independent process and requires taking initiative on a day to day basis. My future plans are to work in the project management area of the publishing industry, and cooperate with the day to day initiative on an entirely new scale. I am hoping to take my time management, organizational, and communication skills with me into an industry that can still offer artistic awareness and strategic planning.
What advice do you have for other students seeking out internship opportunities?
Do not be afraid to take an internship that might not seem like the best fit at first. There are many opportunities that require an adjustment period. I was unsure where this internship would take me, and felt intimidated by the fact that it was unrelated to my studies. Even if an internship might not heavily relate to your major, there can be aspects of the job that build on core skills.
