Grace was a graphic designer for BYU OIT during Fall 2023.
Briefly explain what you did and the result of your internship.
I came in to work twice a week and made artwork. Mostly, it was illustrations, sometimes for my team and often working with other teams or departments. I also got to do some animation as well. Being able to do this internship really opened my eyes to finding a way to be a creative in the "real world." Having this real life experience, working in an office as a graphic designer, taught me how to take on client work, understand and implement critiques, and work with a team or other artists.
What did you learn on your internship that you were not expecting to learn?
What surprised me most about my internship was that I learned so many things other than just illustration. Like I said before, I make some animations and did video editing, but I also learned how to make websites and both write and read for scripts. This internship wasn't just illustrating, it was making all types of media. I'm grateful for that, as well as the fact that I had a lot of help learning how to do these new things from my bosses.
Please share how your experience led to personal inspiration or insightful revelation.
There were a few times when I felt overwhelmed, confused, and anxious at work, feeling like I was out of my depth or not good enough. I often found myself turning to God for comfort and strength during those times.
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
Yes, I would. I would recommend doing the internship credit in general to students who want real life experience, and this internship to students who want to work with others, most likely in a more corporate setting. It helped me to understand how to work with a team, with bosses, and with clients. It also helped me to understand more realistically what having a career in art would be, something that a regular class can't really give you the experience in.
