Tomorrow is my last day at Shea’s Performing Arts Center. I have interned in the Development Office since the beginning of the school year and I can honestly say that I am sad to have to leave such a wonderful place. For my first internship experience, I couldn’t have been at a better organization. I worked with so many incredible people and learned valuable skills that pertain to my field along the way.
Some of my favorite experiences include:
- Touring the building: I got to go onstage (a dream-come-true!) and also backstage to see the loading docks, green room, and dressing rooms.
- Learning about the history behind Shea’s from Doris Collins: My supervisor’s boss lovingly introduced her to me as “The b*tch who owns the place”. Doris is a spunky lady who has been at Shea’s longer than the current president. She took me down to her office and went into a detailed overview of the history of Shea’s. She is also head of the restorations team and explained some of their finishing techniques which I was exceptionally interested in.
- Listening to the orchestra for Cinderella rehearse in the main lobby: As I made my way up the stairs that morning I was greeted by a full orchestra that seemed to be playing just for me (or at least that’s what I tell myself). I felt like a princess for the whole day!
- Sitting in on Phantom of the Opera and Kinky Boots rehearsal: There is something so magical and mysterious about live theater. However, sitting in a nearly empty theatre while watching some of my favorite musicals come to life with understudies and no costumes was such a unique experience that I will never forget.
Oh yeah, I actually did real work and accomplished stuff too:
- Secured over $5,500 in donations for the Black Tie Gala: Now that’s a line for the resume!
- Became more comfortable with the city of Buffalo: After many pickups and deliveries, I know my way around downtown like a true Buffalonian!
- I also learned how to mail merge, solicit for donations, and research donors: What I learned really quickly about Development is that there is no set formula for doing the job right. Most of the time you are flying by the seat of your pants and kind of making it up as you go along, which I enjoy. There’s always some new project or event to work on and there are multiple ways to accomplish your goals.
As a final note, I want to say thank you to my supervisor, Hannah Alt, and her boss John Schaller for mentoring me and giving me the opportunity to prove myself. I also own my gratitude to the Communication Studies Department for their endless resources and support.
“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.”
-William Shakespeare, As You Like It
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