Meet Jenna
Internship: Becks Printing
College: Eastern Connecticut State University
The way Jenna Levesque sees it, interning at Becks Printing through Lever’s Berkshire Interns program was the best chance to improve on her graphic design skills while spending the summer months at home.
“I was crossing my fingers when I applied, because there aren’t a lot of opportunities for graphic design internships around here. Becks was the best option, and it helped that they had a lot of connections in the community,” she said.
Jenna is one of two students in the 2023 Berkshire Interns cohort who participated in the Berkshire Interns Preparation Program (BIPP) earlier in the spring. BIPP is a free workshop series open to college students in Massachusetts looking for guidance, training, and support to help secure internships. Jenna learned about BIPP, and subsequently Berkshire Interns, through a flier.
“I was interested in the prep program because it would help develop my skills more than I have in the past because of the developments with COVID. BIPP was the perfect starting point,” she said.
Jenna served as the online sales intern at Becks Printing this summer, where she assisted in product management.
Reflecting on her assignments, Jenna believes her internship was a crucial link between studying graphic design at Eastern Connecticut State University and applying her interest in the field beyond the classroom.
“School is showing me what to do, and Becks showed me how to do it,” Jenna said. “I see myself going into design work, and Becks proved that I have the capability of pursuing a career in this profession.”
Her responsibilities included organizing the store’s online order system, binding orders, helping with Amazon packaging, and organizing pamphlets, business cards, and embroidery pieces so that any loose thread or ink did not break through the final product.
Jenna helped develop the store’s account on Shopify, and her commitment led to also designing products from scratch. “I worked on posters, tickets, lawn signs, and even self-help cards,” she noted.
Along with expanding on her graphic design skills, Jenna was also able to build up her self-confidence through extracurricular activities organized by Berkshire Interns.
“The social programming, such as going to the Pittsfield Suns game and Trivia Night, was really fun. It got me out of the house,” Jenna said, chuckling.
Some of the social events as part of Berkshire Interns this summer included a trip to Ramblewild Adventure Park, cheering on the Pittsfield Suns baseball team, and playing for prizes at Trivia Night.
“Talking to the other interns, getting tips and tricks from their internship experience, showed that there are others that can support me when I need it,” she added.
The camaraderie continues to leave a good impression.
“I really recommend Berkshire Interns to all of my friends. I personally had no confidence before this, and the pandemic didn’t help me. The program got me out of my comfort zone,” Jenna said.
