Internships Create Friendships

When I first moved to the City I was shocked with just how many interns flock to Manhattan every summer. Almost religiously, every few people I meet out on the weekends seem to be chasing the same dream I am in the Big Apple. I have met people interning at Fortune 500 companies, working 50+ hours a week and even some who have already received job offers with their said employer come graduation. Intern networking is hugely valuable, especially in the fashion industry. You never know who you will work with at a different company in the future, or what connections coworkers have made elsewhere that you can tap into. My favorite part of my internship are the friends I have made this summer.

Being immersed in New York seems a lot less overwhelming when experiencing it with fellow newcomers. I was lucky enough to make fast friendships with two girls interning in Creative Services with me. Nicole, Kelly and I met on the 19th floor at Michael Kors. Considering our different college experiences we have remarkably similar dreams, goals, and senses of humor. We all attend different colleges; Nicole is at Miami University in Ohio studying Graphic Design, while Kelly studies Graphic Communications at Clemson. All three of us were new to the city and were able to experience many New York first's together. All of us recently turned 21, so naturally NYC nightlife was on our lists of to do's from the beginning.

The three of us learned how to navigate to and from each others apartments, the bar's with the best happy hours close to our office, and our favorite new SoHo boutiques to shop at. I loved hearing about their college experiences and seeing the differences between mine and theirs. For example, Clemson is a huge football school. Kelly regularly attends the games and it has monumentally shaped her time as an undergrad. Drexel's lack of football was never something I noticed until hearing her stories of victory games and rivalries. While we may have differences, the three of us share a number of things in common. All three of us are in sororities, which has become a huge part of our college experience.We all plan to work in creative fields and hope to call New York home after graduation.

This past Friday I had to say goodbye to Kelly and Nicole. It is a beautiful thing when your relationships at work go beyond professional and become true friendships. I know that the three of us will stay in touch long past the end of the summer and the end of my time at Michael Kors. New York brought us together this summer, and will bring us together again come graduation.

MK Interns on Kelly and Nicole's Last Day