Thursday, November 19, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Runner Up Journal Entry
A photographer’s life isn’t as easy going as you think. After being a part of a photo shoot for a client, I know the cold, hard truth first hand. First, you have to pull, or drag depending on how heavy, 3 large carts full of camera and photo equipment to the site. Upon arriving at their apartment, you must unpack… everything. And just when you think you have about a few seconds to breathe, you have to carry the tripods to the room, set up the light stand, open up the reflectors, and hold. Maybe even for 10 to 20 minutes at most. Then when it seems like there may be a short break, you must go back to the bags and retrieve even more. New lenses. Different cameras. More reflectors. Camera hoods. Hold the HMI light on your shoulder. Wait to be called until needed. Tape up the backdrop. Fetch toys for the children. Make silly faces to make them smile. Clean up drool and spit on the baby’s face. Return with water. Breathe. But of course, this is only the hectic job of the assistants.
The job of the photographer is just to order his assistants to follow with whatever he is doing, and then some. But even that is never as easy as it sounds. They must set up the best studio in the area they are given. They must wait for the subject to cooperate; in this situation, with a 3-year old and a 3-month old, you know this isn’t going to go as simply and smoothly as you would hope. You then must wait for a smile and capture the moment. And just as you get the ball rolling, the camera may break. But then, I guess, that’s where the assistants come in.
This day was loaded with the use of muscles in my forearms and biceps I thought I would never use. I had learned new photography lingo and equipment that will only help me further down the road. I had finally joined in on a photo shoot and saw exactly what went down for the product of an amazing photograph. And while the focus of the shoot may fidget and not want to sit still, you have to be understanding and push to work with them.
My first day at Gruber Photographers started out with making a best friend at the beginning of our separate internships brought together through coincidence. It only got better when we received the job of creating the draft of a photo album for a client. And even though every now and then the work would revert to boring, mindless tasks, being asked to come along to an important shoot for a mother and her children put the icing on the cake for an excellent internship. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue my interest in photography for a career after seeing the difficult, tedious, and somewhat frustrating end of the spectrum. But this internship showed me two extremes: the sweat and tears side of production, as well as the passion behind the photographer who truly loves their job.
Written by Ally Orzo
The job of the photographer is just to order his assistants to follow with whatever he is doing, and then some. But even that is never as easy as it sounds. They must set up the best studio in the area they are given. They must wait for the subject to cooperate; in this situation, with a 3-year old and a 3-month old, you know this isn’t going to go as simply and smoothly as you would hope. You then must wait for a smile and capture the moment. And just as you get the ball rolling, the camera may break. But then, I guess, that’s where the assistants come in.
This day was loaded with the use of muscles in my forearms and biceps I thought I would never use. I had learned new photography lingo and equipment that will only help me further down the road. I had finally joined in on a photo shoot and saw exactly what went down for the product of an amazing photograph. And while the focus of the shoot may fidget and not want to sit still, you have to be understanding and push to work with them.
My first day at Gruber Photographers started out with making a best friend at the beginning of our separate internships brought together through coincidence. It only got better when we received the job of creating the draft of a photo album for a client. And even though every now and then the work would revert to boring, mindless tasks, being asked to come along to an important shoot for a mother and her children put the icing on the cake for an excellent internship. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue my interest in photography for a career after seeing the difficult, tedious, and somewhat frustrating end of the spectrum. But this internship showed me two extremes: the sweat and tears side of production, as well as the passion behind the photographer who truly loves their job.
Written by Ally Orzo
Interns of Chesky Records
The interns of Chesky Records are Megumi, Shannae Mae, Mimi and Jeremy.
Shannae Mae saving the day by finding cds to complete an order.
Mimi is all smiles as she loads up boxes of music in the workroom.
Jeremy faxing out another completed order.
Winning Journal Entry
I live in a bubble. Coming to New York by myself as a seventeen year old has completely changed my views and has taught me more about myself than I could have ever imagined. My internship made me realize that no, the world does not revolve around my needs and that everyone starts at the bottom. It was a tough lesson to learn but after interning for three weeks I have learned to accept it. My internship, with an emphasis on fashion merchandising, has taught me more about the business than I have even known before. Fortunately, I also realized that my interest in the fashion industry is one that is strong and this internship has nonetheless emphasized my choice for a college major. In addition, the women that I have met while working at Hasson Mireles have made a lasting mark on my future. The confidence, success and love for the business they work in reigns over the office and affects the people working there, including myself. All in all, being in the city and interning as well has changed me for the better. My views of the world, the people around me, everything has changed. As we finish up our final week here in New York I am happy to say that I will return to Orange County a different person. My bubble has officially burst.
Kellie Salazar
Kellie Salazar
Monday, July 20, 2009
First Three Weeks
The first three weeks of Career Explorations have, on the whole, treated us well. For most of us, this is not our first extended stay away from home. We know how we react to new people and new situations. We know what we like. We know what works for us and also what doesn’t. Some of us like to spend our free time in our rooms, catching up on sleep or summer reading. Others like to go out and find all of the food, entertainment, and fun rip-offs New York has to offer. Some of us choose to turn in early at night to be fresh for work or play the next morning. Others choose to stay up late socializing and making a ruckus with our new friends.
One of my favorite parts of this program, as with any such extended overnight program which attracts students from all over the country and world, is the time when we can share perspectives and experiences that I mightn’t otherwise have been able to hear. When we discuss our internships, I can’t help but note the broad diversity of fields and business types represented in our placements; at the same time, though, we share everyday work activities that betray a universal plainness. No matter what our internships, we all seem to have learned a great deal more about stapling, binding, answering phones, creating spreadsheets, and fetching coffee in the past three weeks!
Another big part of life in the time we’ve spent here has been the sundry activities planned for us by the CE staff. I especially enjoyed the boat tour we took on the Circle Line around Manhattan and, of course, seeing the new Harry Potter movie in IMAX. We’ve also been to two Broadway shows, sampled different ethnic restaurants, attended street festivals and baseball games, and heard from a panel of professionals who work in our fields of interest about different career paths we might consider. We’re all afforded many opportunities here that we would not necessarily have had at home, by the staff and facilities of CE, by our internships themselves, and by our very location in the capital of world culture, economy, and entertainment. We also have some control over how to take advantage of what these unique circumstances offer us. I find spending my free time holed up in my room sleeping or reading has its consequences, and staying up on a weeknight talking and playing has its own as well. I find that for the effort I put into any job in the office, menial or stimulating, I am always repaid with a greater understanding of what a career in real estate investment means. Baseball games, Broadway shows, and book signings aside, it is the novelty of a profession which we each discover in the commonness of an unpaid high school summer internship that is the peculiar virtue of our experience, or at least my experience, thus far at Career Explorations.
One of my favorite parts of this program, as with any such extended overnight program which attracts students from all over the country and world, is the time when we can share perspectives and experiences that I mightn’t otherwise have been able to hear. When we discuss our internships, I can’t help but note the broad diversity of fields and business types represented in our placements; at the same time, though, we share everyday work activities that betray a universal plainness. No matter what our internships, we all seem to have learned a great deal more about stapling, binding, answering phones, creating spreadsheets, and fetching coffee in the past three weeks!
Another big part of life in the time we’ve spent here has been the sundry activities planned for us by the CE staff. I especially enjoyed the boat tour we took on the Circle Line around Manhattan and, of course, seeing the new Harry Potter movie in IMAX. We’ve also been to two Broadway shows, sampled different ethnic restaurants, attended street festivals and baseball games, and heard from a panel of professionals who work in our fields of interest about different career paths we might consider. We’re all afforded many opportunities here that we would not necessarily have had at home, by the staff and facilities of CE, by our internships themselves, and by our very location in the capital of world culture, economy, and entertainment. We also have some control over how to take advantage of what these unique circumstances offer us. I find spending my free time holed up in my room sleeping or reading has its consequences, and staying up on a weeknight talking and playing has its own as well. I find that for the effort I put into any job in the office, menial or stimulating, I am always repaid with a greater understanding of what a career in real estate investment means. Baseball games, Broadway shows, and book signings aside, it is the novelty of a profession which we each discover in the commonness of an unpaid high school summer internship that is the peculiar virtue of our experience, or at least my experience, thus far at Career Explorations.
Interns at Work
As our interns enter their final week of Career Explorations, we wanted to share a few photos of the students on the job!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Suite 2302 Update
As we write this tonight, it is the end of the third week of Career Explorations. There is only a week left, and it is hard to believe how fast the experience is passing. Looking back through the past month, the thing that stands out most is being able to explore the city while bonding with friends.
The city holds a plethora of exciting places like Broadway theaters, frozen yogurt stores, Central Park, vintage shops, Magnolia Bakery, comedy clubs, and Citi Field. And of course, a Starbucks on every corner! Getting places is no problem with our unlimited metro cards, and CE rules that keep us with a friend at all times ensure that we won't get lost.
When we aren't working or exploring the city, we spend time in each other's suites watching TV, gossiping, ordering pizza, Chinese, or sushi, and drawing on the walls. (Markerboard walls, that is!) Dorm life has enabled us to bond with our new friends and see what college life might be like. We are sad to leave our new home so soon, but are glad we got the experience to live with each other and do something different for our summer.
New York City has offered us a great life experience. We were able to spend time out of our hometowns and explore new places. As we leave we bring back new friendships, work experience, and memories with us that will last a lifetime.
The city holds a plethora of exciting places like Broadway theaters, frozen yogurt stores, Central Park, vintage shops, Magnolia Bakery, comedy clubs, and Citi Field. And of course, a Starbucks on every corner! Getting places is no problem with our unlimited metro cards, and CE rules that keep us with a friend at all times ensure that we won't get lost.
When we aren't working or exploring the city, we spend time in each other's suites watching TV, gossiping, ordering pizza, Chinese, or sushi, and drawing on the walls. (Markerboard walls, that is!) Dorm life has enabled us to bond with our new friends and see what college life might be like. We are sad to leave our new home so soon, but are glad we got the experience to live with each other and do something different for our summer.
New York City has offered us a great life experience. We were able to spend time out of our hometowns and explore new places. As we leave we bring back new friendships, work experience, and memories with us that will last a lifetime.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Day Student Experiences
Day students? What? Where are they?
Many residential students never get a chance to meet any day students. This is because many of us travel to our internships in the morning then travel straight home. Day students are not simply students who already live in New York City. Some live in New Jersey and others as far away as Connecticut. Life as a day student is different than that of a residential student at Career Explorations. First off, there is the long, prosaic commute that we all make getting to and from our internships. While residential students are no more than 50 minutes away from their internships, many of us have commutes that last an hour or longer. However, public transportation can always be blamed if we show up late to work! Another aspect of our experience is that many commuters never attend the planned CE events. From taking a boat tour on the Circle Line to visiting NBC Studios, many day students see these events as touristy and ludicrous. If you hear that New Yorkers dislike tourists, it's true! We feel as if tourists take way too many pictures, and they clog up to sidewalk by walking too slowly.
However, I wanted my summer to be filled with fun and excitement, so I decided that even though I am a day student, I would try to attend most of the events planned by CE. Because of this choice, I am experiencing New York City from a different perspective. For example, I pass by Citi Field at least once a week, but I had never seen a Mets game until I went with CE. I have attended school near the Brooklyn Bridge for years and never knew they show free movies in the summer until now. I travel to Brooklyn occasionally to visit my friends, but never had Mexican food until international night with CE. There is so much to do in the city that I did not even know about until now. Next summer, I look forward to continuing these exciting, new activities on my own and with my friends from school!
-Wendy Ho
Many residential students never get a chance to meet any day students. This is because many of us travel to our internships in the morning then travel straight home. Day students are not simply students who already live in New York City. Some live in New Jersey and others as far away as Connecticut. Life as a day student is different than that of a residential student at Career Explorations. First off, there is the long, prosaic commute that we all make getting to and from our internships. While residential students are no more than 50 minutes away from their internships, many of us have commutes that last an hour or longer. However, public transportation can always be blamed if we show up late to work! Another aspect of our experience is that many commuters never attend the planned CE events. From taking a boat tour on the Circle Line to visiting NBC Studios, many day students see these events as touristy and ludicrous. If you hear that New Yorkers dislike tourists, it's true! We feel as if tourists take way too many pictures, and they clog up to sidewalk by walking too slowly.
However, I wanted my summer to be filled with fun and excitement, so I decided that even though I am a day student, I would try to attend most of the events planned by CE. Because of this choice, I am experiencing New York City from a different perspective. For example, I pass by Citi Field at least once a week, but I had never seen a Mets game until I went with CE. I have attended school near the Brooklyn Bridge for years and never knew they show free movies in the summer until now. I travel to Brooklyn occasionally to visit my friends, but never had Mexican food until international night with CE. There is so much to do in the city that I did not even know about until now. Next summer, I look forward to continuing these exciting, new activities on my own and with my friends from school!
-Wendy Ho
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Life as a Group Advisor
Many of our students wonder, "What do our Group Advisors (GAs) do during the day?" The Career Explorations staff maintains a busy schedule of events for the students on nights and weekends, but even from 9-5 while the students are at their internships, the GAs are always on call and often hard at work. We keep in contact with parents and mentors on a regular basis, work office hours to organize more exciting night and weekend activities for our students, and - every now and then - enjoy some time on our own to explore the city. A few of my recent facebook status updates will give you a little insight into the life of a Career Explorations GA:
Tuesday: Sarah Ellis is in office hours, planning for Career Night and trying to salvage our GA Option to see Next to Normal. I'm happy it's selling so well ... just not when it involves our tickets!
Wednesday: Sarah Ellis is excited for her night off on Thursday. Exhausted after a successful Career Night and surprise birthday party for Rachael!
Thursday: Sarah Ellis just put $765 worth of Next to Normal tickets on her credit card. Yikes.
Friday: Sarah Ellis is back from the aquarium at Coney Island. Exhausted, but headed to a Mets game tonight.
Saturday: Sarah Ellis is volunteering in Prospect Park, then off to see a comedy show!
Life often feels like a bullet point list of activities lately! While being a GA for Career Explorations is an often tiring 24/7 job, we truly love seeing Broadway shows and baseball games, exploring street fairs and block parties, and just hanging out with a wonderful group of fellow staff members and students!
Tuesday: Sarah Ellis is in office hours, planning for Career Night and trying to salvage our GA Option to see Next to Normal. I'm happy it's selling so well ... just not when it involves our tickets!
Wednesday: Sarah Ellis is excited for her night off on Thursday. Exhausted after a successful Career Night and surprise birthday party for Rachael!
Thursday: Sarah Ellis just put $765 worth of Next to Normal tickets on her credit card. Yikes.
Friday: Sarah Ellis is back from the aquarium at Coney Island. Exhausted, but headed to a Mets game tonight.
Saturday: Sarah Ellis is volunteering in Prospect Park, then off to see a comedy show!
Life often feels like a bullet point list of activities lately! While being a GA for Career Explorations is an often tiring 24/7 job, we truly love seeing Broadway shows and baseball games, exploring street fairs and block parties, and just hanging out with a wonderful group of fellow staff members and students!
Summing up the Summer So Far
GA Suzanne sums up her summer with Suite 2104:
Suite 2104 has had an exciting two weeks now! As a suite we're doing amazingly well; what can I say, we have the best group of girls who all love each other! We've had some exciting romps around New York City; from getting lost on the subway to eating the most delicious French chocolate, and from rioting for fireworks to having chopstick lessons. And of course, we can't forget the shopping! As a whole, our suite - a mix of fashion and event interns - is loving the city, their internships, and the other program participants. These last few days have shown us Katie's utter devotion (need I say obsession?) with A Walk To Remember, and tested Gabi's addiction to PinkBerry.
Overall, Suite 2104 is loving New York, each other, LPQ, and cupcakes.
Suite 2104 has had an exciting two weeks now! As a suite we're doing amazingly well; what can I say, we have the best group of girls who all love each other! We've had some exciting romps around New York City; from getting lost on the subway to eating the most delicious French chocolate, and from rioting for fireworks to having chopstick lessons. And of course, we can't forget the shopping! As a whole, our suite - a mix of fashion and event interns - is loving the city, their internships, and the other program participants. These last few days have shown us Katie's utter devotion (need I say obsession?) with A Walk To Remember, and tested Gabi's addiction to PinkBerry.
Overall, Suite 2104 is loving New York, each other, LPQ, and cupcakes.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
An Update from Hannah's Suite
Today we asked each other, “What has been your favorite thing about the summer so far?” We all responded, “That’s too hard!” After racking our brains for a while, we could not narrow everything down and only choose one thing. We have been having so much fun living in our suite at Juilliard, experiencing life as working adults, and seeing all of the sights of New York. We have done so many amazing things already, and it is just one week into the program!
Many of our highlights have been classic tourism, such as visiting the top of the Empire State Building or eating at Magnolia Bakery. It is exciting to go to these must-see places while we’re living in NYC. However, the events that are not on the calendar are just as exciting and are becoming the most memorable. Living in the dorms allows us to get to know one another and bond on a new level. Our suite quickly became our home-away-from-home where we are comfortable sharing how our days have been, showing off new clothes from a recent shopping trip, setting goals, or even having a dance party.
As we look forward and anticipate all of the fun activities for the rest of our time here, we feel very lucky we get to do all of these things. We also know that some of our favorite parts of Career Explorations are going to not be events at all, but the time we spend with each other and the family we have built here!
Many of our highlights have been classic tourism, such as visiting the top of the Empire State Building or eating at Magnolia Bakery. It is exciting to go to these must-see places while we’re living in NYC. However, the events that are not on the calendar are just as exciting and are becoming the most memorable. Living in the dorms allows us to get to know one another and bond on a new level. Our suite quickly became our home-away-from-home where we are comfortable sharing how our days have been, showing off new clothes from a recent shopping trip, setting goals, or even having a dance party.
As we look forward and anticipate all of the fun activities for the rest of our time here, we feel very lucky we get to do all of these things. We also know that some of our favorite parts of Career Explorations are going to not be events at all, but the time we spend with each other and the family we have built here!
Monday, July 6, 2009
360 Degrees of CE
On Friday, July 3, after groups returned from the Afro-Punk Film Festival, NBC Studios, and other exciting city tours, Career Explorations gathered in Times Square for a 360 degree photo.
360 Degrees of Career Explorations
We all enjoyed exploring the theater district before seeing our program's first Broadway show - West Side Story - at 8pm. What an exciting way to kick off our July 4th weekend!
360 Degrees of Career Explorations
We all enjoyed exploring the theater district before seeing our program's first Broadway show - West Side Story - at 8pm. What an exciting way to kick off our July 4th weekend!
Afro-Punk Film and Music Festival
This past 4th of July, Career Explorations kicked off the celebratory weekend with a trip across the Brooklyn Bridge into the heart of Brooklyn to experience some fantastic films, movies, and skating. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge gave us a great view of the NYC skyline, and it created bonding time with interns that hadn't met each other yet. And although we only saw one movie (the documentary Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Greene), heard no music, and only had a glimpse of the skate park, the experience overall gave us a lasting impression of the culture just across the East River. The movie was awesome! It was legit and Career Explorations was up.
- Kimberly Nguyen
- Kimberly Nguyen
Friday, July 3, 2009
Scavenger Hunt Winners
After the group picture on Saturday, we dispersed into scavenger hunt teams and looked all over the city for various things on our lists. The search took us all over New York from Grand Central to the Public Library to Times Square. We took photos with police officers, bought unusual ice cream at the factory in Chinatown, and found out which statues were in which parks. The contest was close, but the winning team separated themselves with some creative thinking and a picture of the naked cowboy taken with the help of an iPhone. Here are some of their pictures.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
CE 2009 Group Photo
Just before our scavenger hunt this past weekend, we snapped a photo of our 2009 interns and staff. Students are nearing the end of their first work week, so expect some exciting blog posts in the upcoming weeks profiling a variety of internship experiences in the city!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
New York City at Night
We wanted to share a few photos from our double-decker bus tour on Sunday night. What an amazing way to see the city before everyone's internships started on Monday morning!
Monday, June 29, 2009
starting up summer 2009
Welcome to the Career Explorations NYC blog for summer 2009! As students begin their internships today, Group Advisors Amy and Sarah are kicking off the blog with a bullet-point entry of all the exciting events of the first weekend in New York City.
Friday, June 26:
-Arrival day, welcoming students and families by car, train, and plane from all over the world!
-Suite dinners at the Juilliard dining hall
-Dessert at Ellen's Stardust Diner, with an amazing singing waitstaff
Saturday, June 27:
-Scavenger hunt around NYC, hitting Manhattan hotspots ranging from Grand Central to Times Square to Chinatown
-Group dinner at Italian restaurant Etcetera Etc. in midtown
Sunday, June 28:
-Delicious NY bagel breakfast in the suite
-Internship site visits all over New York City
-"Great at the Job" workshop with Jodi Glickman
-Double-decker bus tour of New York City at night
As you can tell, we are in for an exciting summer! Keep up with our blog over the course of the summer for more detailed updates, including internship profiles, mentor interviews, pictures, event and restaurant reviews, and more! You can also follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CENYC2009
Friday, June 26:
-Arrival day, welcoming students and families by car, train, and plane from all over the world!
-Suite dinners at the Juilliard dining hall
-Dessert at Ellen's Stardust Diner, with an amazing singing waitstaff
Saturday, June 27:
-Scavenger hunt around NYC, hitting Manhattan hotspots ranging from Grand Central to Times Square to Chinatown
-Group dinner at Italian restaurant Etcetera Etc. in midtown
Sunday, June 28:
-Delicious NY bagel breakfast in the suite
-Internship site visits all over New York City
-"Great at the Job" workshop with Jodi Glickman
-Double-decker bus tour of New York City at night
As you can tell, we are in for an exciting summer! Keep up with our blog over the course of the summer for more detailed updates, including internship profiles, mentor interviews, pictures, event and restaurant reviews, and more! You can also follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CENYC2009
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