Internships are so much more than the coffee runs you see in film and TV shows, but since art so often imitates life, one has to ask: What exactly is the difference between what you see in the movies and what interns get to do?
We've paired up some UNLV students who spent this summer as interns with their big screen counterparts. From local government to SpaceX and more, these students are flexing what they’ve learned in the classroom and combining it with resume-building experiences in the field.
Movie Version: A tiny robot is determined to help humans who are currently orbiting space in WALL-E.
The UNLV Intern Version: Mechanical engineering major Rabih Chaar helps SpaceX safely and responsibly increase the launch cadence as a Launch Engineering intern. Two of Chaar’s projects directly correlate to the company’s Falcon 9 rocket fairing – the nose cone used to protect a spacecraft during launch – and will be seen on future flights.
“This internship has been living my childhood dream. Just being able to see the rocket and have time to work hands-on, it is mind blowing. I am glad my projects have the potential to make a real difference and everyone on the fairings team is kind, intelligent, and supporting! The most memorable moment has to be experiencing and learning from the most recent anomaly that happened!”
The Movie Version: Jennifer Lopez deals with event mishaps in The Wedding Planner.
The UNLV Intern Version: Hospitality management major Jasmin Silva creates a magical moment as an intern for INDUSTRIAL Event Space. The position gave her the chance to assist – and learn from – the company’s event manager.
“It was May 4. We had a wedding and — the day before — the bride's mom was talking about the mariachi group they were going to have at the wedding, so I mentioned how I dance folklorico. She was raving about how they wanted folklorico dancers at the wedding but couldn't find a group to perform, so I worked some magic to get two couples to perform at the wedding in under 24 hours. We brought in the couples at the wedding as a surprise for the groom. The mom and bride were crying out of joy. Two days after the wedding, the bride's mom called me to thank me for making their dream happen. Since then, I still think about that moment.”
The Movie Version: Robin Williams offers a more empathetic approach to patient care in Patch Adams.
The UNLV Intern Version: Andrea Bejaran-Choto completes her clinical rotation in O’ahu, Hawaii, as part of her Doctorate of Physical Therapy education. She conducts full evaluations and develops treatment plans for patients while providing education to help patients continue their healing.
“The most memorable moment of this rotation was seeing the impact I could have on each patient. The most rewarding part of any patient interaction was seeing them feel validated and reassured. It makes me excited to continue with this path and expand my knowledge so that I can continue helping others.”
Movie Version: Astronauts and NASA ground personnel work together to safely land a spacecraft in Apollo 13.
The UNLV Intern Version: Electrical engineering student Andy Obille explores varying tasks related to the avionics life cycle of spacecrafts — from early conception design phases of electrical components to certification of flight readiness — during her internship with NASA. Plus, she gets to meet the flight crews for spacecrafts she’s working on.
“This internship has allowed me to gain perspectives that are very helpful in bridging the gap between my academic classes and the real world. My biggest takeaway from this experience is understanding that there are different implicative differences between aircraft and spacecraft engineering considerations.”
The Movie Version: Owen Wilson is transported back in time to 1920s Paris and gleans insight from famous authors in Midnight in Paris.
The UNLV Intern Version: Film major Emilie Rosenfeld connects with talented writers through her writing internship with JC Studios and Geek Rock TV. Rosenfeld writes reviews of films and articles on popular concerts and events.
“I've been able to review some big-budget films like Barbie and Civil War, as well as some indie films like Miracle at Manchester and Forgotten. I am grateful for the opportunity to have watched so many movies!”
The Movie Version: Aspiring journalist Anne Hathaway handles a demanding boss while juggling a surplus of tasks in the Devil Wears Prada.
The UNLV Intern Version: Journalism and media studies major Mark Estrada certainly juggles a variety of tasks – without a Miranda Priestly supervisor – as he oversees social media and digital content for the College of Education as a communications intern. Estrada supports the communication needs of the college’s centers, labs, institutes, offices, and special projects.
“My internship has helped me in different ways. It gets me more involved on campus and helps with meeting new people. It introduced me to PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America), where I'm learning more about communications and public relations outside of the classroom. It has also improved my work at Rebel Media Group, where I use what I know to support my team and clients better.”
The TV Version: Amy Poehler sets out to improve her community as an employee of local government in Parks and Recreation.
The UNLV Intern Version: Urban studies major Shar Toler manages an array of tasks as an intern for the City of Las Vegas, as a Council Ward 2. Toler’s tasks included cold calling constituents and stakeholders to elicit support for political events, creating campaign goodie bags for in-person appearances, manning information tables for councilperson's issues, and implementing the first-ever Internship Support Manual.
“As an urban studies major, community resiliency is the foundation of the curriculum and working within city government provided the practical aspect of that education. Beyond the technical application, I gained personal connections with community stakeholders that I may not have had access to otherwise and those connections have been vital to opening new doors that are in line with my academic and career aspirations. My local political experience has paved the way to an opportunity within a federal congressperson's office.”
