Hometown: Grand Ledge, MI
Major and class standing: Graphic Design, Senior
Where you interned: Foresight Group Lansing, MI

What was your internship title and role/responsibilities?
I was the Graphic Design/Pre-Press Intern at Foresight Group. For the first half of the summer, I moved every two weeks between the two buildings (Foresight Group and Foresight SuperSign), and for the second half, I settled over at Foresight SuperSign. I worked in the Pre-Press department at Foresight Group editing files and preparing them for print. At SuperSign, I worked on a larger scale preparing existing and new files for print. I also did some post-production work where I prepared orders for customer pick up, finalized signs, and loaded the printers with ordered material.

How did you obtain your internship? What resources did you utilize to secure your internship?
I interviewed with Matt Crumb at Flat Out Graphics towards the end of the Spring. He gave Stacey Trzeciak (the CEO of Foresight Group) as well as a few other of his colleagues my information.

What did your daily routine include?
Get to work – check my email to see if any customers had approved my work and were ready to send their order to press – get going with that order. If I hadn’t received proof approval, I would follow up with the customer via email or I would move on to a new job depending on the day.

Your favorite experience from the internship?
At my time at Kresge, I have loved learning and working with different mediums. Yes, I’m a graphic design student, but I love to work with my hands. At Foresight SuperSign, I was able to do just that – design/edit on my computer, send to print, and then trim/hem/weed/package my job…it was the best of both worlds!

What was your least favorite part of the internship?
I really fear making mistakes in regard to my work. It took me the whole summer to get it through my head that this is my first internship and everyone knows that. I was working with people who had been in the industry for 20+ years. If I made a mistake I had to really remind myself that everyone here has made a mistake similar to mine before. I wasn’t the first one to make a mistake nor will I be the last. Thankfully the team at Foresight was incredibly kind and understanding and made it very easy for me to raise my hand/admit I messed up. It also helped that the “pros” weren’t afraid to admit their mistakes either.

What skills did you learn and/or build upon during your internship?
Before this summer, I didn’t really know what went on after I pressed “save” on Adobe. I now know how to properly set up my files to ensure I or my client gets the exact output desired. I know differences in printers, materials, installation…the whole nine yards. I feel like I am a step ahead now thanks to my experience.

What did you learn about the industry or your career path as a result of the internship? What are your future plans?
I feel like my career hopes have been solidified since this summer. I feel more confident in freelance work now that I know how to get exactly what I need to produce.