Summer internships: From the Peach State to the Big Apple and right here at home
While summer offers a chance to rest and retool for the new academic year, many students in the College of Arts + Architecture further their careers and boost their bank accounts with paid internships. Below, we spotlight three students’ summer internship adventures.
Aliyah March, Resident Community Advisor Lead with Joffrey Ballet School in New York City
Aliyah March, who is pursuing degrees in dance and business administration, learned about the Joffrey Ballet School internship from fellow dance majors Amaree Ratliff and Christian Bryant, who had worked with the Joffrey in the past. Founded in 1953, the school offers renowned summer intensive programs in the U.S. and abroad.
After a rigorous application process that included three interviews, March was offered the lead resident community advisor position in New York City.
Over 12 weeks, March oversaw daily residence hall operations, led staff meetings, coordinated student programming and worked tirelessly to foster a positive living experience for students at the summer ballet school.
“The most meaningful part of the internship was getting to connect with the students,” March said. “For a lot of them, it was their first time in the city, so we got to take them to some of the fun tourist spots and see a lot of Broadway shows. It was so fun to connect with them and make it a positive experience. It was also amazing to meet all of the other interns who go to school all over the world and talk to them about what their pathway has been leading up to the internship. I made some lifelong connections.”
Toby Lewis, Costume Assistant/Dresser, Peach State Summer Theatre in Valdosta, Georgia
Summer stock can be grueling. “I was fully engulfed in theatre,” said Toby Lewis, “16 hours a day, six days a week, for seven weeks.” But his “baptism by fire” proved to be immensely satisfying.
Coming to UNC Charlotte as a transfer student from Gaston College, Lewis joined the Department of Theatre last fall, pursuing a B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in Design/Tech. A fourth-generation upholsterer, he has been sewing his whole life. He learned about the Peach State Summer Theatre job from recent theatre graduate Max Martin, who encouraged Lewis to apply.
Lewis worked on the costume crew for two productions: Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. He helped actors with quick changes, cleaned and cared for costumes and even built several costumes, most notably the 1930s wedding dress for lead character Reno Sweeney in “Anything Goes” and a purple vest and skirt for the Pharoah’s butler in “Joseph.”
Agnes Rodts, Intern, ZAPATA Group, Inc., in Charlotte
Through scholarships that she has received from the Society of American Military Engineers, Agnes Rodts was connected to ZAPATA Group, a Charlotte-based architecture and engineering firm that specializes in military and utility industry projects. That association led to an eight-week internship this summer in which she worked on a wide range of projects.
“Some of my responsibilities and projects included working with SIDs, CDs, RCPs, room finish schedules, floor plans, elevations, ceiling plans, and as-builts,” she said. “I also gained experience with redlining, keynoting, ordering material samples, creating Bluebeam toolsets and profiles, and planning semimonthly volunteer work and community-building events.”
In addition to her work in the office, Rodts participated in multiple construction site visits, where she could see abstract plans come to life.
“One of the most important things I learned this summer was how a project moves from drawings to construction. Before this internship, I understood architectural drawings primarily from a classroom perspective. Being able to work with actual project documents and then visit project sites helped me understand how those drawings are used throughout the construction process.”
Written by Meg Whalen