Name: Ashley Espiritu

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Mindgrub

Position Title: Associate Designer          

Major: Graphic Design

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

As an Associate Design Intern, I assist in creation of visual and interactive designs for clients through creative problem solving and best practice production methods. My responsibilities include executing and delivering high quality design based on client goals and contemporary design concepts. I receive input, critique, and advice from the client and team to move a project forward. I collaborate with project team members and design leads to ensure the creative vision is fully realized. My internship involved contributing to a positive, creative, and supportive atmosphere.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I had a referral and submitted my resume and link to my online portfolio.

Which resources did you use to find your current experience?

I went through a friend who is a UMBC alumni.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

It is the best place to learn as an intern. Mindgrub has a very healthy work culture. The superiors are more like mentors that are approachable and guide the employees. The leaders teach the interns the right approach on how to solve a problem. Mindgrub promotes team building activities to bind the employees together. It conducts training programs, workshops, seminars and presentations to upgrade the existing skills of the employees. They also provide not only food and drinks but also fitness tools and games to keep their employees energize and happy.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

My supervisor told me that I have an "outstanding attitude and work ethic." Also, my co-workers praise my works. I strongly believe that I have helped the company deliver great visual designs to the clients.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

First, know the environment of the work place by either having a chat with a current employee or take a time to have a research about the company. Second, attend events that offers you a chance to meet the possible employers or at least the possible co-worker. Third, speak with any professionals within your rich like your professors, academic advisor, and the Career Center. They can help you find your skills, personality, and interests, which will help you get the best internship.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position.

An internship teaches you the right and most current tools for each project. Great supervisors ask you what you want to learn so that they can direct you to the right path of learning and save you time learning other things that you wouldn't need in the real world. My internship taught me how to be efficient and organized in a multitasking world. Earning internship credits saves you a lot of time and money which I highly recommend for students to do. The Career Center is the best way to look for an internship because they will make sure that you are learning and not just doing some tasks that your co-workers wouldn't want to do.

Ashley is pictured with her supervisor Rob Rhinehart, who is Mindgrub's Director of Creative Strategy.

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