Bringing Their Studies to Life: Dean College Students Land Summer Internships

At Dean, 100% of our bachelor’s degree students complete an internship before graduation – and many of them have participated in internships this summer. From performing arts companies to nonprofit organizations to social services, Bulldogs are hard at work building real-world skills and bringing their studies to life. We caught up with a few of our students to learn more about their internship experiences and what they’ve learned this summer.

Jacob Duby ’22 is a Dance BFA student with a specialization in ballet and jazz and has spent the summer interning at Stagedoor Manor. After the pandemic postponed this opportunity in 2020, Jacob is now working as an assistant choreographer, dance teacher and counselor. “These roles require me to choreograph musical numbers the students perform, clean the numbers, collaborate with my directors and others, and to make sure the students retain technical training to improve the performers of the next generation in the theatre industry,” Jacob explained. “I also had two classes to teach: musical theatre dance and jazz 1/2.”

Through the internship, Jacob is grateful for the collaborative process and the connections he’s made, both on and off campus. “This internship came to me from my Professor Ali Angelone, who has been a strong mentor of mine since freshman year,” said Jacob. “This opportunity has also allowed me to work with talented individuals from all over, including Europe, Australia, Mexico and Panama. My peers have done many contracts from performing to directing/choreographing all over the world. They have given me the knowledge to help me succeed to my highest potential and shared all types of opportunities the field of performing has to offer.”

At Homebrewed Theatre Company, David Livingston ’22 is using his internship as an opportunity to understand how the skills he’s learned at Dean translates into real-world scenarios. A Theatre major with concentrations in Musical Theatre and Acting and a minor in Dance, David is working behind-the-scenes as a Production Assistant as well as on-stage as a swashbuckling pirate for the world premiere of “Daughters with Daggers,” a comedic play written by Andrew Beauregard. “Alongside dodging punches and sword slashes, I assist in creating and building set and prop items that enhance the overall quality and experience of the performance,” explained David. “I have learned that having the basic skills for a myriad of theatrical aspects creates opportunities for yourself, which can lead to bigger and better opportunities down the line. I believe this internship will help me branch out and become more open to working in all aspects of theatre, not just on stage, but also as a set designer, prop master or lighting designer. My experience at Homebrewed Theatre Company has been eye-opening and exceptionally creative, much like my time at Dean College.”

Just like David, Nicole Willard ’22 is connecting classroom experiences to real-world situations through her internship. An Arts and Entertainment Management major with a concentration in Dance, Nicole is completing a remote internship with Moving For Life, a nonprofit organization that offers dance exercise classes to individuals whose lives have been affected by cancer. Nicole explained her role as the Development Intern: “I work on projects revolving around their fundraising efforts, such as grants, planning their annual fall fundraiser and donor management. The Nonprofit Fundraising course at Dean was what sparked my professional interest in development for nonprofit entities. I am a firm believer in the power of the arts, and I am honored to be a part of the team that is using dance to help others.”

She has also worked on updating donor information in spreadsheets and databases, attending weekly meetings, and supporting the team in grant work, competitive research and SWOT analyses, using skills she started building in class. “I’ve practiced these steps in a previous Marketing course as well as various Business courses at Dean,” Nicole explained. “Having strengthened these skills before, I was confident going into this type of work in a professional setting. This information won’t just tell us as an entity what we need to bring to the table among the competition, but will help us to identify new potential funding opportunities as well.”

Pursuing a career that helps others is also important for Ana Sullivan ’22. A Psychology major, Ana is interning with the Council on Aging in the Town of Walpole this summer, doing a variety of tasks for programs, events, daily tasks to support seniors’ wellbeing with reminder calls, groceries and general support, and even completing training to create a workshop on LGTBQ+ seniors, inclusivity and allyship. “My internship experience has provided me the skills to pursue social work, using psychology theories, and methods,” Ana explained. “It helps me to further understand the duties of an outreach worker, to understand the anticipated regulations and policies, and to work with different seniors who need assistance.”

For Ana, this was more than just a typical internship, however. It was an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. Ana shared, “Being there with people who have been through so much in their lives, it brings me joy to hear their stories and to watch them do their fun programs when they arrive. Being able to make someone’s day, whether it’s through opening the door for them, or setting up an appointment for them, or even just having a nice conversation with someone, the goal is not only to help them, but also bond, learn, experience and influence through new upcoming opportunities that come our way in life.” When asked what she’s learned through her internship, Ana explained four main takeaways: “Try new things that scare you, the value of partnership, the importance of inclusion and acceptance in any work environment and the importance of challenging yourself.”

Our Bulldogs are accomplishing great things as they earn credits and work towards their bright futures. Learn more about Career Planning and Internships.