Hannah Foster, a junior at Wichita State, got first-hand experience in her field of study as a graphic design intern for the Wichita Thunder hockey team. During her time there, Foster received the opportunity to work on projects that included everything from designing roster posters and video board graphics to posting on team social media accounts and participating in gameday promotions.

“Working with the Thunder helped me to not only further develop my design skills, but I have also gained quality pieces for my portfolio and learned a lot about time management and working in a real-life professional setting,” said Foster.

This internship has furthered Foster’s love for graphic design as well as given her a backstage look into the sports marketing world. As part of this behind the scenes in the professional sports world, she was even able to help escort Olympic medalist and Wichita-native, Nico Hernandez, down to the ice during a home game.

“Working for the Thunder was a blast,” she says of this unique experience. “This internship will be very valuable in helping me succeed after graduation. I built great connections and references during my time there, as well as broadened my professional competencies and grew as a graphic designer.”

Foster recommends that other students take any opportunity they can to intern during their time at WSU and for those also looking to pursue a career in graphic design, “Dropbox is your best friend,” she says. “Back up all of your projects and save all of the work it took to get you there. Designers are big fans of progression books and seeing how you got to your final product.”

“Finally, find a passion in each project you work on,” she says. “When you do put real effort into something rather than doing the bare minimum, it will show.”

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Wichita State's applied learning program gives students hands-on, paid experience with industry partners, helping them build careers before graduation.

For more information, contact the Shocker Career Accelerator at (316) 978-3688, SCA@wichita.edu, or visit wichita.edu/Career. You can also stop by in person at the Marcus Welcome Center, Suite 139, on the Wichita State campus.