The Center’s Internship Program As a Pathway to Working in the Arts
Did you know Segerstrom Center for the Arts has a robust college intern program that provides young adults with hands-on experience working at a non-profit arts organization? The program began in Spring 2010, offering unpaid internships for 4 students. Over the years, the program has grown to average about 10 students each semester—and starting this fall, all internships at the Center will be paid! And of the 128 interns we’ve had in the 12 years that the program has been up and running, nearly a quarter of them (23%!) have become full- or part-time employees at the Center. Below, you can meet a handful of current employees who got their start here as a college intern.
Emily Pearce
Current job title: Education Associate
Education Department
Emily is from our most recent intern class, Spring 2022! She interned in the Education department and she was hired right after graduation to continue working in Education.
Advice for future Center interns looking towards a career in the arts?
Make sure to be positive and helpful. Ask questions, and don’t be afraid to provide input!
What was your favorite thing about being an intern?
I loved getting to work with so many different departments at the center and learning how everyone helps make the center wonderful.
Ginger Cheverria
Current job title: Associate Director, Development Operations
Development Department
Ginger’s internship was in Spring 2013 in Guest Services. She was eventually hired to work in the Ticketing department as a part-time Customer Service Specialist. In the intervening years, she has worked her way up, moving to Marketing, then Donor Relations, and now, 9 years later, she is the Associate Director of Development Operations.
Advice for future Center interns looking towards a career in the arts?
Take ownership of your education in the workplace and always be a student. Be open to learning from your mentors, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and network. You might find the most tedious task is a part of a bigger vision that will help grow your skill set and could give you your big break.
What do you think makes intern applicants stand out?
When I see a genuine effort to make connections to the intern description from their past experiences (current or past jobs, school clubs, projects, and volunteer work). Anyone can make a list of past job duties, but I’m looking for someone who will benefit the most and is passionate about the role.
Brian Tom
Current job title: Senior Manager, Corporate and Foundation Relations
Development Department
Brian was a Fall 2015 intern and nearly two years later, he was hired as the Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations. He has since been promoted to Senior Manager.
What was the most useful skill you learned as an intern?
I interned specifically with the Corporate and Foundation Relations team within the larger Development department so I learned the foundations (no pun intended) of everything that I still do to this day!
What do you think makes intern applicants stand out?
Whether it is arts experience on the resume or putting some kind of anecdote in the cover letter about the arts, I hope applicants have an affinity for the arts. Given that the internship is arts administration, (whereas general administration experience could be gained at any company in Orange County), I hope students are specifically drawn to and apply to Segerstrom Center because they want to be involved with the largest nonprofit arts organization in Orange County.
Lauren Knight
Current job title: Content Creator Coordinator
Marketing Department
Lauren’s internship was in Spring 2021 in the Marketing department. She was hired that summer, just two months after her internship ended.
Advice for future Center interns looking towards a career in the arts?
“Not now” does not necessarily mean “not ever.” I actually did not get this internship the first time I applied, but it meant a lot to me and I applied again the following year. Now I’m here!
What do you think makes intern applicants stand out?
Intern applicants who clearly researched their interviewer and the organization stand out instantly. Anyone reading your application or interviewing you will absolutely pick up on the fact that you’re just winging it, so a little LinkedIn “stalking” and time spent on the organization’s website will pay off.
Jacqui Pash
Current job title: Public Relations Assistant
Marketing Department
Jacqui was the Marketing department’s first Public Relations Intern in Fall 2021. She was hired in January 2022 to work with our PR team.
What was the most useful skill you learned as an intern?
The most useful skill that I’ve learned is how to build relationships with press. As a journalism student, I always read publications like the Orange County Register and BroadwayWorld. Getting to connect with the writers there has been surreal and is something that I will use throughout the rest of my career in public relations.
What was your favorite thing about being an intern?
My favorite thing was the intern sessions when we got to learn what each department of the center does and how they work together. It really helped me when I ended up getting hired so I knew everyone’s roles and the goals of each department.
David Rios
Current job title: Theater Operations Crew Member
Theater Operations Department
David’s internship was in Fall 2019 in Theater Operations. He was hired in February 2022 to work as a part-time crew member.
What was the most useful skill you learned as an intern?
The most useful skill I learned was how to work in a fast-paced environment when setting up and striking for a show, and in working as a team.
What was your favorite thing about being an intern?
My favorite thing about being an intern in theater operations was when I picked sound design as my focus, so I had a great experience shadowing the sound board operators during live musicals and concerts.
While this is just a small handful of former-interns-turned-employees, you can see how our internship program can lead to an array of exciting opportunities in arts administration at the Center and beyond. For more information about our intern program (or to apply for the Fall 2022 semester by Friday, August 5), click here.