Internships and apprenticeships, when done right, give interns and apprentices life long lessons. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, these opportunities aren’t accessible to many and so we wanted to invite folks who have had these experiences to share some of the lessons they’ve learned.

Katie Levine

I had the unique experiences of interning for both Vogue Magazine at their LA offices, and interning for the photographer Annie Leibovitz. Interning I think is one of of the best thing you can do for your career (paid, or unpaid if you can make it work!). I treated both my internships like master degrees, Dedicating my everything to soaking up every bit of it. Learning how to use my ears -instead of my mouth, to learn and grow. The craziest experience I ever had interning for Annie Leibovitz was assisting on a Louis Vuitton Campaign where the location was an construction site on the 80th floor, no windows, in the middle of manhattan. I had to ride the construction elevator, it was so scary but was a sink or swim moment. Beyond that, my internships was my first time around famous people, which then lead me to have a calm about me when I eventually started photographing celebrities myself. Read more>>

Lainey Wright

I am so grateful to have had the apprenticeship experience that I did. It was a bit of a wild hair that lead me to leather work in the first place, and I went into the apprenticeship very excited but also with very low expectations.. little did I know I’d come out on the other side with a growing set of tools and a growing business plan. I came into my apprenticeship at an almost perfect time. I was the only student and therefore had direct, one-on-one, hands on learning each time I stepped in the studio. It addition to the learning the technical craft of leather working, I learned countless other lessons that have continued to apply to both my personal and professional life. I learned the value of thoughtful, careful work and attention to detail. I learned that mistakes will always happen, but what really matters is how you handle them. I learned that no matter how good your craft, it’s the relationships formed with co-workers and customers alike that are the real reward. I learned that the “community-over-competition” approach to business is the only approach worth taking. Read more>>

Noemi Mendez-Hyams

My field is in Professional Counseling. Once I graduated with a masters degree then you have to pass a national exam and apply for a provisional license to practice. I first gained experience as a LPC-Associate with a non-profit agency. I had to gain 3000 hours of experience and attend weekly group and individual supervision about my therapy sessions and experiences before I could become fully licensed and work independently. I gained experience working with families that had truancy cases and court ordered for treatment. I saw families for 5 sessions and also led group sessions with other families present. The biggest impact from this experience was from the person who mentored me in supervising my counseling experience. Read more>>

A Tassy

As a young, eager dreamer growing up, my world was shaped by the enchanting voices of science icons like Albert Einstein, Bill Nye, and Carl Sagan, and the thrilling tales of Jeremy Wade on “River Monsters.” The universe of science, learning, and exploration held an irresistible allure on me. I knew deep down that my path would lead me to become a scientist, a marine biologist, an astrophysicist, or an engineer, and I was determined to pursue my dreams relentlessly. Read more>>

Oliver (Zhongze) Li

I had a valuable learning experience at the FIRST International Film Festival training camp, where I had the opportunity to work alongside Chinese editor Yibo Zhang (BETTER DAYS, 2019; NEVER SAY NEVER, 2023). During this time, I served as an assistant editor for a short film project led by one of my classmates, with Mr. Zhang being the mentor for the editing process. The project presented an incredibly tight schedule, as we had just 48 hours to achieve a picture-lock for a 15-minute short film following three days of shooting. The film’s narrative centered on the subtle conflicts and subsequent reconciliation between a middle-class husband and wife during a lakeside vacation. Upon viewing the initial assembly cut after filming, I felt that the conflicts were underdeveloped, and the main characters were challenging to follow. Read more>>