The start of May unfortunately means the end of our time with our Spring Intern Mariah Kooyman. It has been a pleasure to have Mariah as part of the INDIRAP team over the past 4 months and we’re incredibly thankful for all of the hard work she has done. Keep reading to hear from Central College senior Mariah Kooyman about her INDIRAP internship experience.

—

There aren’t any words I can use to describe how I’m feeling about my internship coming to a close. Unfortunately, my time (in person) was cut short due to Covid-19, but I am beyond grateful for the time and opportunities I did get to experience with INDIRAP. From the minute I walked in the office on that chilly, January morning, to my last day when it began to warm up in mid-March, all of the employees at INDIRAP treated me as a part of the team and a friend.

WHAT DID YOU COME INTO THIS INTERNSHIP HOPING TO LEARN? DID YOU LEARN IT?

Going into my internship, I thought I wanted to hone in on my editing skills and really master that. However, Sarah said I wasn’t limited to any one area of work with INDIRAP, and I could focus as much or as little on each category as I would like. That changed the game, which I really appreciated, so I ended up working on different projects here and there so I could get a taste of everything. I had the opportunity to learn how to create social media content in Photoshop, perfect my editing skills in Premiere Pro, go on set, and everything in between, there was never a dull moment! I want to go into broadcasting, so there were a few times where I was able to interview our clients behind the camera while they had on-screen dialogue. That definitely helped polish my journalism skills as well! I have to say, my favorite time to go on set was when we filmed a vlog for Matt Laricy where his team had a wine tasting with Brand Napa Valley, but it was all a fantastic experience.

Here is one of the social posts Mariah helped create:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8xJU9xF_hb/

WHAT WAS SOMETHING YOU DIDN’T EXPECT TO LEARN BUT DID ANYWAYS?

My internship with Indirap went way beyond my expectations. I think the biggest aspect was that I didn’t expect to learn how to use Adobe After Effects. Although I’m still learning how to use After Effects, it’s definitely something I plan to continue learning.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT TO WORK ON?

Do I really have to choose?! It’s not really a “project” persay, but my favorite part of my internship was going on set. I had the opportunity to attend some really cool events like filming the Matt Laricy vlog and another cool bartending convention (I think it was…?) Other than that, I loved helping edit videos and learning sick new Photoshop and Premiere Pro skills!

WHAT’S A SKILL YOU LEARNED THIS SPRING YOU KNOW YOU WILL CONTINUE TO USE?

I will definitely keep using Photoshop and Premiere Pro. One of these days I’m going to start my own YouTube Channel and become Instagram Famous, so utilizing those applications will be extremely helpful!

WHAT MADE THIS INTERNSHIP DIFFERENT FROM OTHER INTERNSHIPS YOU’VE HAD?

The people made the biggest impact! It doesn’t matter how many cool projects you get to work on, but who you get to work on them with, and how much they help you learn. Everyone at INDIRAP was always willing to help explain new techniques in Adobe Suite and make the most of my internship. I wish I had more time with them, because I still have so much I want to learn!

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE?

If you get the chance to work with, intern, or be involved with INDIRAP in any shape or form… DO IT!     I am a college senior, and this semester was by far my favorite of all four of my years in college. From day one, everyone made me feel like part of the team. I wish my time in Chicago hadn’t been cut short, but I can’t wait to go back to Chicago and visit everyone!

—

Thanks to Mariah for all of her help this spring and thanks to Chicago Semester for connecting us with Mariah!