A New York network leads to internship opportunity
Katie Lauer ‘13 signed up for a St. Olaf College networking program in New York City to make connections for the future.
Little did she know that the future was going to start almost immediately.
While on the Piper Center for Vocation and Career’s New York Connections Program, Lauer met Sarah Butler ’06. A staff member at Art in America magazine, Butler encouraged Lauer to pursue her interests in studio art and media studies.
The two stayed in touch after the 25 St. Olaf students participating in the program returned to Minnesota, and Butler shared Lauer’s resume with her colleagues. That connection helped Lauer land an internship at the magazine during Interim. The opportunity, made possible with the support of internship funding from the Piper Center, provided Lauer with valuable career experience.
“Being a studio art major and media studies concentrator, I feel that this internship brings me full circle,” Lauer says. “It’s the best of both worlds — a publication about the arts.”
The experience gave Lauer an up-close look at the inner workings of a major publication and provided some insight into one career possibility. “Though I may not be clear on exactly what I want to do, I learned what it means to be an art professional and work alongside those in the art world,” she says.
Sandy Malecha ’01, associate director of internships in the Piper Center, says investigating a vocation through an internship is a great way to find a good fit. “It requires that you test your theories about what you want your life to be through hands-on experience so that you can make informed decisions about your future,” she says. “Piper Center staff members love working with students in all class years, and it’s never too late to start this exploration process.”
Lauer is proof that starting the process early pays off. “I owe this internship to the wonderful opportunity I had to go on the New York Connections program, which was an outstanding program,” she says. “And Sarah is proof that Oles really do want to help other Oles. It’s amazing.”