Real world experience goes a long way in advertising! Just ask our past interns!

Former Design Interns

Marc Povell, Virginia Tech University

Gary Comerford, George Mason University

Sally Streater, George Mason University

Matt Garthoff, University of California Los Angeles, May 1994

Susan Raynor, Northern Virginia Community College, May 1993

Lourdes Vargas, Northern Virginia Community College

MARC POVELL
Virginia Tech University
After hearing how successful OM's internship program was for a friend, Marc decided to try it for himself. His time with OM helped him add a variety of work to his portfolio and gave him the hands-on experience he needed to get ahead. Marc's goal is to settle into a career creating packaging design and print advertising. He also intends to travel to Europe in order to establish an international name and portfolio for himself. He plans to start small, however, by taking a year off after graduation to possibly travel the United States as a leadership consultant for his fraternity, Delta Chi. Marc stays active by dedicating his time to the advancement of his fraternity by serving in prominent positions such as Secretary and holding one of two positions in Region 9.

GARY COMERFORD
George Mason University
Gary came to O'Connell Meier as a student of the arts from George Mason University. Due to his previous background and knowledge working as a graphic designer/illustrator, it did not take long before Gary felt at home in his position at OM. Throughout the course of the semester, he was able to work on his own and see projects through from start to finish.

SALLY STREATER
George Mason University
Since completing her internship with O'Connell Meier, Sally has graduated from George Mason University as an honor-roll student. She says that she has become a more versatile designer thanks to the experience she gained at OM. Sally believes that intern experience is especially important because it teaches so much more than a class ever could. If she had to do it all over again she would have interned more than once in college. Sally currently works as a graphic designer at American Management Systems, Inc., an international business and information technology consulting firm in Fairfax, Virginia. One of her more recent projects was designing her company's T-shirt for the Race for the Cure in Washington, DC (June 1999).

SUSAN RAYNOR
NVCC '93
As a graphic design intern at OM, I had the opportunity to participate in creative aspects of the jobs--problem-solving, brainstorming--as well as assisting senior-level designers in the production of their work. During my internship I also took advantage of computer availability to familiarize myself with pertinent software, such as Quark, Illustrator, and Photoshop. After my internship I became a graphic designer at O'Connell Meier, working primarily on the design of program books and all promotional materials for conferences and trade shows. Now I am working as a freelance designer.

MATT GARTHOFF
UCLA '94
Presently, I am an Assistant Account Executive with the advertising agency of Foote, Cone, & Belding in Los Angeles. I work in the direct marketing branch of the agency called "FCB West." Our client is US West Direct, producer of Yellow Pages for 14 western states. In addition to my position, the account management team for US West Direct currently consists of an intern, two Account Executives, an Account Supervisor, and a Management Supervisor. Essentially we serve as the liaison between the Client and the rest of the agency‹production, traffic, etc. We oversee every step of our mailings, coordinate with outside vendors, and constantly track and evaluate our various marketing efforts. Personally, I work closely with the AE's. I create estimates, give billing instructions to our accountants, approve invoices, process our mailing "master schedule," and produce a variety of reports that track different aspects of our mailings. I do a considerable amount of proofreading copy decks, mechanicals, bluelines, lasers, and nearly every chart and table that crosses the AE's desks. OM was a great experience, both in what it did for my job search and otherwise. I really wanted to get into the creative side of advertising/marketing and OM gave me a chance to learn the essential artistic computer applications, put them to daily use (which is the only way to learn them), and start a book of professional pieces that I had a hand in. Gee that didn't sound too much like a testimonial. It's largely coincidence that I ended up in the direct marketing side of the agency I'm with, but I'm sure that my experience at OM made me a much stronger candidate for the position. While I am now in account management and no longer involved in creative production, my production knowledge (from OM) gives me a significant advantage when it comes to understanding the creatives' considerations. I know how they do their work and that allows me to see problems before they arise, better estimate costs and hours, and plan future projects.

LOURDES VARGAS
NVCC
My intership gave me the opportunity to see an advertising agency at work. It was a pleasant environment with people who worked on an efficient system that for a short time I was a part of. I also had my first experience with the creation of a Web page and it was something I had longed to work on. I currently work at ATA Graphics Center as a designer, and I create brochures, ads, books, and booklets. I also go to two classes per semester and I will go to a four year school to get my Bachelors Degree. I plan to work as a graphic designer and freelance illustrator.