Trust, Care, Creativity, and Confidence: Takeaways from Summer 2025 Internships
But internships also play a pivotal role in students’ education. Five interns supported this past summer by our Arts & Entertainment Career Connections program found that their internships introduced them to new applications of their studies, spurred them to deepen creative practices, taught them new skills and sharpened their focus and confidence as they imagined their futures.
Sharpening focus
Chenyao Liu (C ’27) interned at Hidden Pictures, the film production company led by Penn alum Todd Lieberman (C ’95). Liu encountered the new world of working “coverage,” or analyzing and summarizing material that might make it into a future show or film. The experience confirmed her interest in the film industry, and she changed her cinema and media studies minor to a major upon returning.
Kaia Chambers (W ’26), who interned at top talent advisory company United Talent Agency, wrote that her internship confirmed she wants to begin her career at an agency, the “core of the entertainment industry.” Chambers also shared that the experience made her want to focus on creative work like storytelling and filmmaking while still at Penn to bring that perspective to the corporate world throughout her career.
Elliot Ross-Dick (C ’27), a mathematics and theatre major who stayed local at 1812 Productions, also returned to campus with renewed energy and direction for his studies. His internship, which involved dramaturgical research as well as administrative support, inspired him to create an independent study in the Theatre Arts department this fall to inform his own creative work on a series of monologues.
Sharpening confidence
Music major Ellie Clark (C ’27) plunged head-first into the world of youth arts education at Play On, Philly. There, she not only supported choir and band practice but also figured out what to do when kids just don’t want to participate, helped eight-year-olds manage their energy and even picked up the clarinet, an instrument she’d never played before, to support a young musician. For Clark, the lessons of this internship were not only professional, but interpersonal. Helping kids manage their emotions taught her that “sometimes, giving people space is the best way to make them feel better.”
Sylvia Erdely (C ’27), who spent her summer at FringeArts, had a broad array of responsibilities including event planning, marketing and administration tasks related to the September Fringe Festival. “Most of all,” she wrote, “I felt wholly trusted at FringeArts. My supervisors…gave me real responsibility and trusted I could rise to the challenge. This new feeling of trust—and the confidence that came from it—is one I will carry forward and never forget.”
What all interns agreed upon was that the environments they worked in and the people they worked with were as crucial to the experience as the work itself. These workplace cultures helped students crystallize their goals, find a sense of purpose and embark on new directions for the remainder of their time at Penn. “Everyone was ready to share stories about their own development and offer insights into the industry with genuine care,” wrote Ross-Dick of his time at 1812 Productions. “The team members have become trusted advisors I can approach for feedback on my work and guidance as I navigate my career in the arts.”
