MCC Graphic Design Students Thrive During College Internship

A summer internship with the college’s Office of Marketing Communications allowed Middlesex Community College Graphic Design students to flex their creative skills and learn more about the professional world. As Liz Krin and Hung To – who both live in Lowell – plan to transfer to four-year schools after graduation, this early exposure to the field helped them hone valuable skills, learn from real-life situations, and build their portfolios – setting them up for future success.

Working side-by-side with the team of MCC’s designers and writers and receiving relevant feedback on her work allowed Krin to apply what she learned in her classes to real life situations. While she figured out how to use her strengths in the field, she also identified her weaknesses and how to improve upon them. The experience, she said, “was the best thing ever.”

“The internship not only taught me about the skills needed to achieve my goals, but also about the goals themselves,” Krin said. “Which specific career path I want to pursue, what responsibilities that career entails, and how that fits into the overall pipeline of my graphic design courses.”

For Krin’s first internship, she was excited to work collaboratively on different types of projects. Her designs included Halloween-themed social media graphics for the upcoming Mini-mester II – starting on the holiday – and a display highlighting the history of MCC’s Academic Arts Center.

“Halloween Mini-mester II had a different style from what I normally do, so I had a lot of fun working on it and it gave me a chance to explore more design styles,” Krin said. “I enjoyed the challenges that I faced while working on the display. It is my first time designing a project with a big dimension, so I had to consider many aspects for this design, including font and image sizes.”

Hung also appreciated working on projects that served the college community. Her projects included a rack card on MCC’s student support services and social media graphics with a countdown to the start of Fall classes. The learning experience of working hands-on on projects with guidance from the team provided a safe space in which to practice her craft.

“Some accomplishments I have made from the internship are being able to pursue interesting and high-quality work that has made a positive impact, and being able to handle challenges, complexity and change while working on my projects,” To said. “The internship let me apply my skills and knowledge that I have gained from classes into practical situations.”

Calling her time at MCC “a great growing experience,” To built confidence in her work, improved her time management, and grew her perseverance through the internship and in her classes. Having an opportunity to work in the field early on has also made her more excited and hopeful for her future career.

“My internship with MCC’s Marketing Communications was amazing,” To said. “There were new things to learn every day and the knowledge I am taking away is immeasurable. I learned to not be afraid to ask questions and to keep an open mind and positive attitude, which are amazing skills to have while working in the design field.”