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My Experience as an Intern at 701 CCA

I graduated with a BFA in printmaking from USC in 2013.  I've been out of college for a few years and I wasn't happy with my current job prospects.  After looking into master's programs in arts administration, I contacted Hannah, the director at 701 CCA, about volunteering in order to get some experience for my resume and a better idea of what I want to do.  When I met Hannah, she told me about the internship and encouraged me to apply.

The internship at 701 has been a great experience.  I've been able to get firsthand experience in what goes on behind the scenes at a nonprofit arts organization.  The most interesting part was working with Janet Orselli to install her re:Visions exhibition.  It was exciting to see the gallery come together and to help with the opening reception at the end.  I've gotten to work on marketing, social media outreach, grant writing, gallery installation, and an event.  Not only has this significantly helped my resume, but I've decided to apply to a masters in arts administration program.  

I definitely encourage future interns to take advantage of the projects available to work on.  I purposefully chose to work on a grant writing project in order to learn a skill I felt will be valuable to me in the future.  It takes so much to run an organization like 701 CCA, so I'm positive that there is something of interest no matter what your goals are.  The internship was a wonderful learning experience.  For example, I had never written a grant before and Hannah was extremely helpful, which made it possible to learn a lot in two months.  I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity, especially since it's a little unusual to do an internship five years after graduation. 

-Rachel Donnelly

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