I've always liked working. Part of it is obviously having a steady income, but I've also always enjoyed being busy and having something to contribute. After not working during my freshman year of college, I knew I wanted to find a role that would let me gain experience while still being a full-time student. That's how I found the Strategic Relations & Communications department at CU Boulder.

I started out helping the department during a major website migration project. Most of my time was spent updating articles, organizing content, and ensuring webpages and images were optimized for viewing. When that project wrapped up, I was offered a position as a Student Assistant and quickly accepted.

Over the next year and a half, I worked on a wide range of projects for multiple teams across the department. I used tools like Excel, Cision, Asana, Adobe Creative Suite, and Extensis to organize information, track media mentions, create lockups, and support communications initiatives across campus.

At the beginning of my junior year, I began working more closely with the department's graphic designer, which eventually led to my current role as a Design Production Intern and her being my mentor. As an intern, I created lockups, type treatments, social media graphics, advertisements, stickers, name badges, event materials, and other design assets while ensuring they align with established brand standards and art direction.

I really enjoyed my time working with SRC. Not only did these roles give me hands-on experience with how design functions within a large organization, but they also taught me the value of community in the workplace. I've learned how to communicate across teams, collaborate with people from different areas of expertise, people I don’t know, and contribute to something larger than myself. More than anything, the experience reinforced my belief that the best work rarely happens alone.