SUU Freshman Earns Deseret News Internship
Published: May 17, 2021 | Author: Savannah Byers | Read Time: 4 minutes
Southern Utah University freshman Zoë Petersen recently earned a top-notch illustration internship at Deseret News. Petersen grew up in Cedar City, Utah and graduated from Cedar High School in 2020. She is currently an SUU freshman earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio arts with an emphasis in illustration.
“I know it’s a bit cliché to say, but I am one of those people who has always wanted to make art,” said Petersen. “Some people have a hard time picking a major, so I feel really lucky that for me there just isn’t anything else that is as exciting, or that I want to work on more than this one thing. Illustration is the only major I ever wanted to do.”
Petersen learned about this internship opportunity through Handshake. Handshake is an exclusive job posting platform for current college students and recent college graduates available through SUU’s Career and Professional Development Center. Only SUU students and alumni have access to SUU’s Handshake.
In addition to learning about the position through Handshake, SUU’s Art & Design Department has also helped Petersen gain many of the practical and technical skills necessary in the field of illustration and beyond.
“Right now I am taking a foundation art class called Digital Tools taught by Professor Brock Landrum and that has been so helpful,” she said. “I was pretty confident using Photoshop already, but this class is helping me become much more comfortable with many of the other programs in the Adobe Suite, which are important for digital work. There have been multiple times when I learned something new in class and the next day I used it in an illustration for the Deseret News.”
“It's great to have students in the art and design program that are engaged in taking what they already love doing and adding to it. Zoë is one of these students,” said Professor Landrum, assistant professor of graphic design. “She takes the style that she's already developed, puts it through different processes, and learns from the outcome. It's been a joy to see her work develop over the semester as she brings hand process to meet with digital applications. I am confident that as she continues to work hard and refine her craft, this will be just the beginning of what she will accomplish.”
In addition to being a full-time student and an editorial intern (working remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Petersen also teaches art at Gateway Preparatory Academy’s after school program. After graduation, she plans to continue working as an illustrator creating art that tells stories and makes connections. This internship is giving her a taste of the type of career she’d like to pursue.
“Working for the Deseret News is cool because I get to make art that can bring attention to ideas and stories that matter, but what I like most about my internship is working with other creative people,” she said. “That was something that surprised me because, like most people I know, group projects have never been my favorite thing, but I love being a part of a creative team! I am learning so much from the people I get to work with about the creative industry and about just being a good person to work with. This internship has helped me to actually look forward to meetings and collaborations.”
Check out these Deseret News stories that feature Petersen’s art:
- Why would Christians embrace conspiracy theories?
- Is the silencing of Donald Trump a free market consequence or cancel culture?
- What does the declining U.S. fertility rate say about housing sales, Social Security and college?
- Health care in America is failing the people who need it most. It’s time for change.
- The case against unity and why it matters
“This internship is allowing me to work with one of the best mentors possible, Michelle Budge, the art director for the Deseret News,” said Petersen. “I know lots of people in creative fields are hesitant to work with an art director because they think all of their creative freedom will be taken away. I have found that is not true at all. Michelle gives critique and suggestions to help everyone on the creative team make our best work, but she is kind and always lets us know what we are doing is good and valuable. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work and learn from her through this internship.”
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