Summer Internship Reflections – Part 1

This summer, our Arts & Entertainment Career Connections program supported seven students as they explored the professional world of arts and entertainment. While PLA has provided funding towards student internships for several years, this was the first year in which students could take advantage of specific opportunities offered in partnership with alumni employers – a step that allowed students to strengthen their networks while gaining crucial work experience and professional education.

Several students chose summer opportunities that offered a behind-the-scenes look at live performance: Ariana Desa e Frias (C’25) interned in the development department at Lincoln Center Theatrer, where she “learned what it takes to garner financial support for…large Broadway productions and…more intimate off-Broadway productions.” Libby Collins (C’25) worked with Penn alumna Betsy Dollinger at her eponymous production company, bd productions, working in script development and gaining insight into how “scripts can transform from drafts, books, films, or albums into onstage magic.” And College junior Katrina Itona stayed local as the marketing and content development intern for FringeArts, working on print and digital content leading up to the September Fringe Festival, the organization’s signature event.

These three students learned about corners of the performing arts industry they had never considered before, and were often surprised by the ways their coursework and dedication to extracurricular activities had prepared them for tasks within their internships. Katrina, an English and comparative literature major who works on The Daily Pennsylvanian, wrote that preparing the annual Fringe Festival guide “reminded me of why I have always loved print media…the high level of attention put into every step…is a labor of love.”

While some students consider an internship to be a miniature version of a first job, these students also allowed themselves the chance to explore: they reflected upon sub-fields they had encountered for the first time and were gratified by the range of backgrounds they found among their colleagues. Some felt that their summer experiences sharpened and clarified their professional goals: “…digital marketing or creative strategy, which were once just words to me, now feel like passions I am looking forward to pursuing,” wrote Katrina. Others felt they’d learned skills that they could bring back to Penn immediately, as Ariana wrote, “I plan to bring this attitude [of wanting to create the best possible productions] and passion back to my [student performing arts] groups throughout my senior year.”