Introductions to US employers taken care of for 19 AUT achievers
They’re packing their bags to swap an El Nino summer for winter in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Colorado Springs, but for 19 AUT students and new graduates, cold calls are not required because the introductions have been taken care of.
AUT has arranged internships for these students with globally-focussed US employers in a range of industries including business, finance, design, advertising, sport, youth development, hospitality and entertainment – with names such Saatchi & Saatchi NY, Westpac Americas, the American Museum of Natural History, Paramount Recording Studios, FCB West and Play Rugby USA.
From August, students had the chance to compete for the mostly three-month positions while finishing their degrees, and are set to start in the roles from January.
Those selected by the US hosts also secured an AUT scholarship to cover their airfares, a US visa, travel and health insurance and a stipend to contribute to living expenses during their internship.
The 2016 AUT interNZ International Scholarship recipients were announced by AUT Vice-Chancellor Derek McCormack last night.
“AUT has always recognised the importance of work-based experience and a good internship can be the scaffolding of a great career,” says AUT Vice-Chancellor Derek McCormack. “Kiwis are driven to experience the world, and we are enabling that by giving our young achievers the opportunity to immerse themselves in a different market and culture while they put their learning into action.
“With the changing shape of work, the ‘C-skills’ are just as important as the grades a graduate might have on their transcript: communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. Cultural competence, another C-skill, is undeniably important for the future of our export-led economy.”
This is the third year the US intern programme has been running. Creative Design Lead at Saatchi & Saatchi NY Agatha Sohn, who has hosted AUT intern Felicia Irene in 2015, had high praise for the programme and Felicia. “She brings some great ideas and concepts to the table and we always look forward to seeing her every day. It gives a different perspective. Not only is it teaching them design trades, it’s somewhat cultural as well, and I think that’s always fun – to see a different perspective and see how other people view things in New York.”
Felicia was completing her Bachelor of Design majoring in graphic design at AUT in 2014 when she won the coveted scholarship to intern at Saatchi & Saatchi NY. Proving her value to the team after the initial three months, Felicia secured an extension to her internship and is still working there now.
“What I’ve learnt about the design industry here is that everything’s bigger in terms of project scope, and also time-wise, the turnaround is really quick,” says Felicia.
“It’s such a helpful thing for a young graduate, especially if you want to achieve something big, then you need to have that support from the place where you studied. This experience has opened so many doors for me, and I’m excited for what the future’s going to bring.”
About AUT interNZ
AUT interNZ was conceptualised and launched in 2013. It is an international scholarship programme created to develop AUT graduates’ professional skills in a global context, enhancing their work-ready skills and employability. It has since developed a local initiative to connect AUT students with New Zealand employment opportunities.
The AUT interNZ International Scholarship Programme has grown, introducing more opportunities for our graduates to kick-start their careers with global leaders in the US. In 2016 we welcome The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, FCB West, rogenSI, Stanford University and The Broadmoor to our programme.
2016 AUT interNZ International Scholarship recipients are:
Brooke Nolly
Bachelor of Business in Marketing, and Human Resource Management and Employment Relations Going to rogenSI in San Francisco
Matthew Delmonte
Bachelor of Business in Accounting and Finance
Going to Zolfo Cooper in New York
Henry Watt
Bachelor of Sport and Recreation in Management
Going to Play Rugby USA in New York
Kothar Esau
Bachelor of Sport and Recreation in Outdoor Education
Going to Play Rugby USA in New York
Sharon Malloy
Bachelor of International Hospitality Management in Accommodation
Going to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs
Chonaire Huriwai
Bachelor of Business & Bachelor of Sport and Recreation conjoint programme
Going to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs
Zhenia Penrose
Diploma in Culinary Arts
Going to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs
Isabella Harrison
Bachelor of Communication Studies in Creative Industries
Going to Paramount Recording Studios in Los Angeles
Tracey Barclay
Bachelor of Arts in Event Management and minor in Marketing
Going to PUBLIC Restaurant in New York
Abigail Johnson
Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing
Going to Booktrack in San Francisco
Lucian Simmons
Bachelor of Business in Finance, Economics and International Business
Going to Westpac Americas in New York
Finn Clark
Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design
Going to Red Antler in New York
Alexandra Kidd
Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design
Going to Saatchi & Saatchi in New York
Vani Sripathy
Diploma in Culinary Arts
Going to Stanford University Residential and Dining Enterprises in San Francisco
Laura Fisher
Bachelor of Business in Marketing
Going to AvroKO Hospitality Group
Ngahuia Harrison
Currently completing a Doctor of Philosophy in Art & Design
Going to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
Benita Simati
Currently completing a Doctor of Philosophy in Māori and Indigenous Development
Going to the American Museum of Natural History
Deborah Chae
Bachelor of Communication Studies in Advertising Creativity
Going to FCB West in San Francisco
Tom Davies
Bachelor of Communication Studies in Advertising Creativity
Going to FCB West in San Francisco