Note From Anna
‘New Place! New people! New Ways!’ and a bit about Internships. Some of the things that make a difference in an education come to mind, maybe in part because I just received a letter over this past week from Portfolio Center student Anna Shypailo as she prepares to return to Atlanta and refocus on her education after spending 3 months as an intern with Abercrombie & Fitch.
The March snows at Abercrombie & Fitch in northern Ohio were as magical as the internship has been for Anna.
I suppose the incongruity that frames the wit for all of this is that Anna’s from Houston, Texas, and before coming to Portfolio Center graduated from the University of Texas in Austin, where the average temperature runs from 60 to 100 degrees year round.
Abercrombie represents one of the country’s leading retailers, and Portfolio Center has a relationship with the company that runs deep—from internships, to designers, to management.
Internships, when done right, are such a positive adjunct to any education. One of the things to remember, however, is they are not a replacement for your education.
They provide opportunities to try out an industry, to gain insight in a real world experience, to meet people just like yourself from all over the world and hear what they think, and to connect the value of your education with what will soon be your profession.
Internships offer an occasion to match both the experiences of your education and those of a personal nature as a student looks toward a career path.
And, what really makes their experience positive is the support of the School, which is sharing and guiding the relationships deep from within industry. Such support is critical to any internship being positive. Portfolio Center defines all of the internships for you in just this way.
Each internship is guided by an agreement with the company, so it allows the student to gain valuable insight and understanding of what principles professionalism both from a performance record and within a professional development during the internship.
Last week, Anna wrote to me of her fabulous experience over the last several months at Abercrombie, and I thought it would be so valuable to share- not to mention you’ll enjoy the images of ‘Texas Anna,” knee deep in a landscape that looks like a Grandma Moses painting.
Hank.
Dear Hank,
Well, I was pretty apprehensive when you called me early one random Saturday morning to meet at your second office, Starbucks, to chat. We all know that this could mean just about anything. Well it pretty much exceeded every expectation, because it turned out that I had been chosen to intern at Abercrombie in, wait for it, O-H-I-O. I’m from Texas. I’m not even sure where Ohio is. All I know is that it’s cold, very cold, and it snows, A LOT.
My internship is winding down now, so here are a few of my thoughts, and I’m really not sure where to begin. It has transformed from a 3-month internship to an incredible life experience for me. Looking back, the internship itself was invaluable. I did cope with my share of stress: learning the ropes at the huge corporation, finding my niche among my team of seasoned designers and a new art director that had just been hired from Ralph Lauren. Experiencing first hand how many times designs get revised, and the way designers have to push the envelope while staying within the brand is a constant balancing act.
I was assigned to the Ruehl Woman’s Graphics team, which was wonderful because Ruehl has the oldest demographic at Abercrombie, the ‘I just graduated and moved to Greenwich Village’ demographic; therefore, we had the opportunity to push everything. I met amazing people and designers, many from around the world. My British friend Joanna can do a killer American accent; it’s hilarious!
I think the most valuable lessons I learned throughout were due to being taken completely out of my element and forced to look at things in a new light. I love gaining this perspective, and I am convinced that it is the best time to learn because it is a time when you open yourself up entirely, letting in new ideas, new people, and ways of doing things. It also causes you to look for the good in every situation.
Though there were many snowy days that I am convinced would have been Snow-Days anywhere else, I thought I might escape this wild northern country without a real Snow Day. I was wrong. Friday, Ohio sent me home early from work with the Blizzard of ‘08. Thank you, Ohio. I dug my car out this morning, yeah. This has been the craziest thing I’ve ever done, but it was all worth it.
Anna
This has all been really encouraging as I prepare to move to NYC for three months! Everything I’ve heard from Anna (aside from the snow comments) has made me believe this will be a wonderful experience. And if she’s been designing clothes for the “I just moved to Greenwich Village” crowd, maybe she can hook me up with some new duds as I head that way!
We’re looking forward to having you back, Anna!
Anna and I sat right beside eachother on our first day here at A+F - my first day of my new job and hers for her internship. Next thing you know, we realize we are both from PC - and I was so happy to have a familiar face. It was great to have eachother during this big change - and now i sure do miss you anna! I know you are going to do great wherever you end up…and, I’m especially glad to see that duke made this blog - you were his favorite babysitter! :)