Wilson College of Textiles Students Gain Valuable Career Experience Through Summer Internships

This summer, Wilson College of Textile students interned with top fashion, textile and manufacturing companies across the globe.

From Los Angeles to Paris, students returned to campus with firsthand industry exposure, experience and skills.

Continue reading to learn more about our students’ summer internship experiences, or click a program-specific category below to explore certain areas of interest.

• B.S. FTM: Brand Management and Marketing
• B.S. FTM: Fashion Development and Product Management
• B.S. FTD: Fashion Design
• B.S. FTD: Textile Design
• B.S. Polymer and Color Chemistry
• B.S. Textile Engineering
• B.S. Textile Technology
• Master of Textiles
• M.S. Textile Chemistry
• Ph.D. Fiber and Polymer Science

Brand Management and Marketing (B.S. FTM)

Natalie Ainbinder 

• Intended Graduation: 2025
• Employer: Steven Shell Living
• Title: Social Media Intern
• Internship Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned I’m good at filming and editing short-form video content! Before my internship, I didn’t have much experience beyond a simple Instagram post, but I love video curation for brands and businesses.

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

The Wilson College of Textiles gave me a strong background in home textiles, making my marketing efforts more educated and precise.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

Social media is really fun, and I love analyzing and predicting trends. Participating in a summer internship reinforced what I want to do in my future career, and I’d love to continue with social media marketing

Caroline DeClerck

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: TJX: HomeGoods 
• Title: Buying Intern 
• Internship Location: Framingham, Massachusetts

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day responsibilities included working with my team to analyze our recent sales and make recommendations for new products going forward. My job included lots of trend research and research ways to incorporate fresh styles into our products.

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

My internship helped me get out of my shell and work will all different types of people. I got a good feel for work/life balance and how to manage my time so I could enjoy Boston in my free time. My experience at HomeGoods taught me a little bit about everything from a healthy work culture to analyzing data and trend research at a corporate level. I now feel very prepared to enter the industry next year and can’t wait to do so!

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

Experiencing a great corporate culture was so much fun. The best part was our vendor appointments, where we would critique and select products to be sold in our stores. These meetings were so exciting because I got to spend hours going through styles, making suggestions for adjustments and improvements and selecting items to be on the floor in our stores a few weeks later. It is so rewarding to see products I helped choose and improve on shelves at my local HomeGoods.

Carolyn Kuga

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: TJX Companies  
• Title: Retail Management Intern  
• Internship Location: Bedford, New Hampshire

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day responsibilities involved learning the process of merchandising, management of associates and operations within a high-volume retail store. I worked on a project with the other interns towards the end of the summer that involved research about the company and creating goals to implement for better customer engagement results within TJX stores

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

The Wilson College gave me to skills to understand the business of retail fully through previous classes I’ve taken and the knowledge I have gained while studying here. The people I worked with were impressed that I knew so much about fabrics and fibers, which led me to help customers with purchases based on their specific needs.

Was there anything during your internship that surprised you?

One thing that surprised me was how fast retail stores move inventory. I learned the inventory turnover rate for the stores and how that was made possible. With shipments of new products coming into the store every day to sorting and putting the product out just hours after it arrived, I was surprised by how fast-paced inventory has to be to successfully manage a store.

Nicole Micchia

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Anthropologie  
• Title: Footwear Buying Intern
• Internship Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

As a footwear buying intern at Anthropologie, my day-to-day responsibilities included assisting the buying team with sample management and coordination, communicating with vendors on sales reports and sample deliveries, and analyzing product performance and customer reviews to help guide future buying decisions. I also collaborated with different teams to provide them with samples for style-outs, web turnover, and product reviews, ensuring that all departments had what they needed for successful product launches. Additionally, I worked on a special project that involved proposing a brand for an exclusive collaboration with Anthropologie.

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

During my time as a footwear buying intern at Anthropologie, I learned that I thrive in collaborative environments where I can work on both the analytical and creative aspects of the buying process. I developed strong communication and negotiation skills through regular vendor interactions, as well as enhanced my ability to work cross-functionally with teams such as marketing, styling, visual merchandising and e-commerce. This experience also helped me become more confident in presenting ideas and solutions to the team, as they were always open to what I had to say.

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

My favorite part of my time as an intern was definitely my team! Everyone was so passionate about the product, which made the work environment inspiring and motivating. I loved being surrounded by people who shared my enthusiasm for footwear. As someone who loves shoes, it was exciting to be so closely involved with the product – from seeing new styles firsthand to contributing to decisions about what would go into the upcoming collections.

Zion Pittman 

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: The TJX Companies, Inc
• Title: Digital Beauty Buying Intern
• Internship Location: Boston, MA

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

During my internship at TJX, I was responsible for analyzing past and current sales reports to provide data-driven recommendations that contributed to e-commerce growth for TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Each week, I extracted data from reports and created detailed pivot tables to deliver clear, concise summaries of business performances for three or more departments. This information was presented to the buying and planning teams, providing them with valuable insights for their decision-making process. 

In addition to my regular duties, I was placed on a rotational program to gain a comprehensive understanding of the beauty business across various departments. I delivered both verbal and written reports to ensure seamless communication and alignment with our team goals.

As part of a larger intern project, I collaborated with two other interns to conduct competitive shopping, where we analyzed industry trends in competitor stores and compared them to our offerings at TJX. We also completed a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis for both in-store and e-commerce channels, ultimately presenting new product ideas to senior merchants for consideration. This experience strengthened my analytical and presentation skills while giving me a holistic view of the business.

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

My favorite part of the internship was the speaker sessions and the opportunity to explore my curiosity about the business. The recruiting team organized sessions with senior leaders, including one week where the chief executive officer spoke to us in person. It was an incredible experience to ask questions directly and learn why they chose to work at TJX. 

Additionally, I was paired with a great buyer who encouraged me to explore other areas of the business. I connected with people in marketing, trend forecasting and various buying teams, which gave me a well-rounded understanding of the company’s operations.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

This opportunity opened my eyes to the diverse career paths within the fashion industry. At TJX, I discovered that it’s not just about merchandising: there are roles in planning and allocation, product development, IT, finance and more. My experience not only reinforced my passion for fashion, but it also broadened my perspective on the industry as a whole. Now, I’m exploring various areas beyond merchandising to find where I can make the most impact.

Gracey Ripley  

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Glen Raven
• Title: Marketing Intern
• Internship Location: Burlington, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day responsibilities included engageing and collaborating with the marketing team while cross functionally working with the sales and customer care representatives to develop marketing methods for Trivantage’s 5 markets. My work focused on the curation of marketing materials, targeted research and analysis of strategies that best aligned with company initiatives.

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

My time with the Wilson College gave me not only a strong background in brand management and marketing, but also a background in textile technology that I was able to apply in a real-world setting. I was equipped with the textile knowledge and terminology to understand important aspects of Glen Raven’s business that I wouldn’t have had if it weren’t for my time as a student at the Wilson College of Textiles.

Was there anything during your internship that surprised you?

One of my favorite memories from my internship was getting to tour the Burlington Yarn Plant at Glen Raven’s headquarters. As a student, we frequently visit the Spinning Lab in the Wilson College. However, with my internship experience, I was able to see an industry scale spinning facility and yarn production plant, and it gave me a glimpse into just how intricate, large scale and fascinating the textile industry is. I have always been amazed by the Wilson College’s facilities and lab spaces, and getting to see these machines on a large scale was very exciting!

Gentry Rogers

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Merz Aesthetics Social Media and Communications 
• Title: Global Social Media Intern 
• Internship Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned a lot about my ability to adapt quickly and take initiative in a fast-paced environment. I improved my project management abilities by working on multiple tasks at once. I also gained practical experience with various social media tools. Additionally, I strengthened my communication and presentation skills. These experiences boosted my confidence in navigating professional environments and set a strong foundation for my future career.

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

My time at the Wilson College has been so beneficial in preparing for my career. Specifically, my brand management and marketing concentration courses have prepared me for success in a global social media role like Brand Management with Dr. Jin and Textile Brand Communications and Promotions with Dr. Matthews. Additionally, I have had many opportunities that prepared me for a professional work environment outside of the classroom through my experiences as a Dean’s Page and a Student Ambassador.

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

I had such a supportive team who I really enjoyed working with. I have been trusted with projects that will help build my resume and prepare me for my career beyond graduation. I really enjoyed getting to learn from highly experienced professionals and gaining hands-on experience in corporate social media! It was fun getting to learn outside the classroom.

Lily Wilson 

• Intended Graduation: May 2026
• Employer: Shelton Leadership Center
• Title: Marketing and Communications Intern
• Internship Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day responsibilities included updating the company website, planning and executing social media content, formatting e-newsletters, creating graphics, and developing brand guidelines and presentations.

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

After working at the Shelton Leadership Center for three years, my favorite part was meeting Chancellor Woodson for the first time at our 20th Anniversary Gala during my first year.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

This experience has solidified my desire to have a career in brand management and marketing. My internship broadened my horizons in marketing as well, teaching me the skills to market an educational and leadership program compared to textiles and apparel.

Nate Wolfe

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Kontoor Brands
• Title: Direct to Consumer (DTC) Merchandising and Planning Allocation Intern 
• Internship Location: Greensboro, NC

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

During my paid internship at Kontoor Brands, I worked as a merchandising and planning intern for the direct-to-consumer team. I specifically worked with Wrangler and Lee. Some of my responsibilities included creating lookbooks, pricing and sales analytics. I also set up new styles and SKUS within the company’s database. 

Throughout my time at Kontoor Brands, I also researched and gave an in-depth presentation on AI in marketing to top executives and managers within the company. 

On a day-to-day basis, I attended various types of meetings from sales analysis to line reviews to best support the brand. Working alongside the merchandising team, I assisted in decision-making on third-party designs such as material selection and clothing fit and relayed this information between vendors. I also created order contracts and reserved inventory. 

I had the opportunity to participate in a two-day leadership conference held by Campus Greensboro over the summer as well!

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

The science and technical-based courses really aided me in my understanding of the manufacturing and costing side of the industry. My marketing and brand management classes also gave me an edge as I possess a lot of knowledge regarding how a brand functions, innovates and navigates the complex textiles industry. Even past group projects prepared me to work together as a team while conducting a research project.

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

During my internship this summer, I learned so much about communication and leadership. Working in a corporate environment fine-tuned my soft skills, and I learned how to successfully navigate a new workspace. 

I learned that I know more about the industry than I give myself credit for! What we learn in our classes at Wilson is so important and gave me an advantage when it came to applying my skills in a professional environment.

Fashion Development and Product Management (B.S. FTM)

Maylan Maxwell   

• Intended Graduation: May 2027
• Employer: Crypton Home Fabrics
• Title: Apparel Development Intern in US Sports
• Internship Location: Cliffside, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

As an intern, I assisted with design processes like artwork selection, pattern editing, developing color lines, sampling and administrative tasks. The design office was located at Crypton’s full-scale manufacturing facility, so I worked a lot with weave blankets that came straight off the looms! One of my special projects was to organize the mill’s archive. I sorted through decades of artwork for the design team to use on new projects, some of which dated as far back as the 1800s!

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned so much about the design, manufacturing and marketing processes that make up the textile industry. I now feel so much more comfortable networking and talking to employers. I feel like I can work in a variety of professional settings thanks to my internship. 

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

The Wilson College invests so much into helping their students feel prepared for internships and other industry opportunities. Countless resources like resume workshops, mock interviews and career preparation helped me gain the confidence needed to pursue an opportunity like this. I also learned important technical skills in my classes that helped me become an impactful member of the Crypton team!

Claire Scadron 

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Kohl’s
• Title: Production for Men’s Tops
• Internship Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned I love working on a team and collaborating with others from different departments. I learned so many new skills, like writing more professional emails and communicating successfully with industry members around the globe. During my time as an intern, I gained a stronger understanding of the apparel supply chain as a whole.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory?

This experience has me feeling even more excited about my classes because of the hands-on experience I gained in the industry. I would still love to work in the product development area and utilize both the creative and logistical problem-solving skills I have developed at Wilson.

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

The variety of courses at the Wilson College of Textiles definitely prepared me for my internship.  I had an understanding of the development phases of material, how textiles and different fabrics function and costing methods, which were all applicable to my position with Kohl’s. 

Ryan Schaffroth 

• Intended Graduation: December, 2025
• Employer: Caterpillar, Inc. Marketing and Brand Division
• Title: Corporate Marketing & Merchandising Intern
• Internship Location: Peoria, Illinois

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day responsibilities included researching the workwear market and how to further appeal to the Gen Z audience and approving products submitted by our licenses in accordance with our branding guidelines. I also worked on a special e-commerce project involving the cat.com merchandise landing page, where I collaborated on enhancements with marketing technology and team data for website optimization. I utilized over 25,000 customer product feedback responses and generated key findings and recommended strategies for the brand’s website. I also developed presentations and reports on my findings in order to propose new strategies for the company. 

During my time as an intern, I had the opportunity to travel to Bozeman, Montana to tour one of Caterpillar’s licensee headquarters, Summit Resource International. All of the company’s apparel product development and designs happen at this office.

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

The most impactful professional skills I developed over this internship were my communication and writing skills. Before my internship, I wasn’t sure how exactly workplace communication looked. My managers threw me right into the professional space, and gave me a lot of hands-on experience to learn from.  Getting thrown into this environment really helped me grow my confidence in not only my public speaking skills, but also my textile background and professionalism.

It was definitely intimidating at first jumping into a predominantly male sector of the industry, especially one that creates some of the largest buildings and construction products in the world. However, by the end of my internship, my team helped build my confidence to take on future opportunities in the industry.

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

The Wilson College provided me with technical fashion, textile and apparel language that students with a broad marketing or business degree would not know or fully understand. I was able to effectively communicate and gather information and data, and utilize industry standard software like Adobe Illustrator because of my coursework and experiences at Wilson.

Bethany Thai  

• Intended Graduation: December 2025
• Employer: Adidas
• Title: Apparel Development Intern in US Sports
• Internship Location: Portland, Oregon

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day responsibilities included assisting the apparel development team with developing apparel samples, organizing products and working with different teams on various projects. I participated in daily meetings, where I got to learn about the industry behind closed doors. I worked on a special project where I created a baseball apparel line for East Asian fans, where I did market research, concept development, material sourcing, apparel design, prototyping and costing to bring my idea to life. I also had the opportunity to cut-and-sew my own pair of samba shoes.

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned how to adapt and be proactive. I grew more comfortable in my own skin, gaining confidence in myself. This experience taught me the importance of taking initiative, whether by seeking out feedback or creating conversation with people around me. Additionally, I developed valuable professional skills such as effective communication, time management and problem-solving, all of which enhanced my ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

This experience has opened my eyes to new opportunities in the apparel industry. Truthfully, I did not think I would enjoy working in the sports world, but after spending my summer at Adidas, I have a new appreciation for sports and what it means to people.

Christa Zakhary

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Eleanor James Brand
• Title: Assistant Intern
• Internship Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

During my time as an intern, I discovered I want to have my own brand and focus on unique, sustainable products. I learned so much about the outsourcing process and all the little details that go into making a memorable product and experience for the customer. 

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

My time at Wilson has prepared me for this internship by giving me a foundation of textile and material knowledge as well as a deeper understanding of the outsourcing process. 

Was there anything during your internship that surprised you?

I did not realize the number of issues that would arise from communicating with manufacturers in different countries,  such as miscommunication issues and time zone barriers. 

My internship was so much fun! I worked there for a year and gained so much amazing experience. Eleanor let me have a lot of creative freedom and included me in so many of her brand decisions. Like I mentioned earlier, I told her I loved photography and she let me capture all of her website photographs and I even got to set up an entire shoot and find models! It was an amazing learning experience.

Fashion Design (B.S. FTD)

Alli Jo LaFevers

• Intended Graduation: Spring 2027
• Employer: Hyster Yale Materials Handling
• Title: Brand Management Intern 
• Internship Location: Greenville, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

I worked on multiple research projects that focused on best website practices for a house of brands company.

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned that I am a fast worker and can stick to deadlines given by supervisors. I also learned that a creative environment is more enjoyable for me in the workplace. I was able to do a lot of training throughout my internship, and I became efficient with all the Microsoft platforms.

How do you think your time at the Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

My time at the Wilson College helped me with my presentation skills and how to ask questions properly in order to complete my projects correctly. Wilson also gave me the knowledge on how to create a proper presentation.

Bella Reeves 

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Aeropostale, SPARC Group LLC
• Title: Aeropostale Design Intern – Girls Light-Weight Knits
• Internship Location: New York, New York

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

In the mornings we would have fabric meetings with our internal production and fabric teams, which would then lead us to fit with our technical design team and our fit model. The afternoon was typically free from any meetings so that I could continue working individually or helping my team on mood boards, internal and external research, sketching, computer-aided design (CAD) work and entering data for any systems for our manufacturing partners. I was always super busy, so I was always learning!

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

This was my third internship with SPARC and throughout each internship my teams have expressed their gratitude for my work and told me that they would appreciate me coming back as a full-time hire! I think a corporate experience is important as it provides you with a skillset that prepares you for wherever you may end up.

Was there anything during your internship that surprised you?

During my internship I was surprised by how much social media and current trends affect the design and marketing processes. I would spend a significant amount of my afternoons doing research on apps like TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram.

Helen Remington 

• Intended Graduation: May 2026
• Employer: Raleigh Little Theatre 
• Title: Costume Shop Intern 
• Internship Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

I cut and sewed garments for the stage production “Something Rotten!” I was tasked with creating the full costume look for Portia, the main love interest of the musical. While I assisted on other costumes, Portia was the character look that I worked on and completed alone.

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned that I am a fast learner and that I want to pursue a career in costuming. I developed communication skills, new sewing skills and the ability to adapt to the fast-paced environment of a real costume shop.

How do you think your time at the Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

The Wilson College gave me the skills to understand and interpret patterns given to me and sew high-quality pieces quickly due to my sewing projects for classes.

Anna Lia Ritchie

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Needle and Thread Company 
• Title: Design Assistant Intern
• Internship Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

I cut, sewed and created garments from thrifted clothes to give new life to items that may have otherwise been considered textile waste. I got the chance to create one-of-a-kind apparel that was sold in stores and online, and I helped design new products for the company.

How do you think your time at the Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

My class projects at the Wilson College of Textiles prepared me for the standard of quality I needed to use when making garments. I also learned how to channel my creativity in ways that have been very useful while working at my internship.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

My time at Needle and Thread Company has inspired me to consider a career in entrepreneurship, and gave me new insights that I brought into  the marketing and entrepreneurship class I’m taking.

Mark Saber 

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Maison Rabih Kayrouz, Haute Couture
• Title: Studio/Atelier intern
• Internship Location: Paris, France

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day responsibilities included assisting the studio team with the development and organization of the new Maison Rahib Kayrouz Ready To Wear collection. My tasks involved weekly fittings, assisting the creative director with the draping of new pieces, haute couture sewing, alterations and garment construction

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned how much I loved working in the high-end fashion industry, especially in the Haute couture Parisian atelier setting. I learned that I also love the “French lifestyle” and would love to work as a creative director or open my own fashion house in Paris one day.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

My internship helped me realize that I want to live abroad in Paris, and also helped me decide to apply to graduate school abroad.  I am still interested in the same fashion jobs but am more specifically looking for opportunities in the haute couture industry in Paris now.

Jasmine VanBlon

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: KLIM/Teton Outfitters
• Title: Apparel Development Intern
• Internship Location: Rigby, Idaho

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned a lot about networking, product development and collaboration. I also had the opportunity to strengthen my proficiency in Centric Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software. I learned that while product development can be fun, I have more of an interest in design than I thought I did.

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

My favorite part of being an intern involved the bonding activities planned by KLIM. The company prioritizes its culture and hosts lots of fun events for employees. When I was interning, KLIM hosted a special intern off-roading ride in the mountains. I enjoyed exploring Idaho and Wyoming in my free time as well.

The motorsports industry is very unique and I loved the technicality behind the gear KLIM creates. Everything is made with a lot of attention to detail and I love that the gear is designed to save lives, providing a sense of purpose to the designer.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

I still want to pursue the same types of jobs, but I’m open to trying others as well. I  have an interest in material development now and would consider looking at a job in that field. Working within material development helped me realize how flexible my degree is due to having a background in a diverse range of skills, ranging from textile science to design.

Textile Design (B.S. FTD)

Amelia Boys

• Intended Graduation: May 2026
• Employer: ColsenKeane
• Title: Leather Smithing Intern
• Internship Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day involved  hand stitching pre-clicked-out leather hides into satchels, backpacks, wallets and other leather goods. I also got to rivet pattern pieces together before stitching. I made a lot of the bags used for social media photoshoots. There was a large wholesale order of bags (over 100) and I got to stitch a bunch for that order as well! At the end of my internship, I designed the largest duffle bag I had ever made and got to keep it as a stipend!

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned that I really do love to be hands on, no matter what I am creating. I shadowed team meetings and found out more about the ins and outs of small business operations. I learned about slow production and the craftsmanship that goes into keeping a small business running.

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

My favorite part of my time as an intern was getting to know my teammates. There were three other leathersmiths who worked at ColsenKeane, each with their own unique stories and skills. They were always willing to answer questions and made the work environment friendly and welcoming. 

I also got to see how the business side of the company worked by talking with the director of operations, the artisan workshop curator and the owner. Being a part of this amazing team inspires me to seek this dynamic in my future internships and job opportunities.

Brenna Buzzacco  

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: URBN- Anthropologie 
• Title: Home Textile Design Intern – AnthroLiving
• Internship Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

I assisted the home textiles team with product design. This involves pulling Panton color swatches, presenting vision boards, briefing and printing, organizing and prepping for meetings with my team. I also attended weekly meetings with the product development and production teams to review rug and curtain samples from vendors. The specific design projects I worked on were designing doormats for spring and summer  2025, cleaning Computer-Aided Design (CAD) files for rugs, and assisting in the set up of seasonal sketch reviews and mock displays. I also completed an internship project, where I was assigned to create a mock capsule collection for the brand, which I presented to my intern class, team and executives (including the CEO.)

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

Since Anthropologie has been one of my favorite brands for a long time, it was such a dream come true to see the behind the scenes of how their products are created. I also loved getting to know my team and other teams we worked closely with. Getting hands-on experience working on products that could potentially be sold in stores next summer was also so surreal for me.

How do you think your time at the Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

I think that my studio classes I’ve taken here at the Wilson College have prepared me for my internship. I was able to carry over the skills I’ve learned directly into my work.

I also think that the professional development opportunities at school helped me. For example, I got the chance to attend the SEAMS conference last year. I think that experience allowed me to practice networking and interacting with professionals in the industry. I also work as a Dean’s Page here at the college, which has given me experience working in an office environment. In addition to being a Dean’s Page, I also work as a student curator for the appearance team. We set up student projects around the college, and I noticed a lot of those skills come through when I would set up mock displays for seasonal finalizations at Anthropologie.

Grace Porterfield 

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Glen Raven- Sunbrella
• Title: Textile Design Intern
• Internship Location: Burlington, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day consisted of cleaning up artwork for various clients, assisting with fabric photoshoots and assisting the team with client projects. The team also took time to train me on their weaving software and company operations. My special project involved creating a block print that would be shown to a couple clients. This included finding the artwork down in the archive and scanning it in to the computer. From there, I took the artwork into our weaving software called EAT. Then I was able to clean up the artwork, create a weaving chain for the loom to read and simulate what the final fabric would look like.

How do you think your time at the Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

I think the Wilson College prepared me for my internship through the variety of classes that give students a technical background in textile design. This really helped me while I was learning how to weave at Sunbrella. Having a background knowledge of fiber makeup, machinery and weave structures helped me a lot during my internship.

Was there anything during your internship that surprised you?

One thing that surprised me about my internship was how tight knit the community was, despite Glen Raven being such a large company. They really put an emphasized on how the company is like a big family. It showed in their kindness, communication skills and team meetings.

Polymer and Color Chemistry (B.S. PCC)

Sydney Lucas 

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Johnson & Johnson and Burt’s Bees
• Title: Consumer Product Development Co-Op
• Internship Location: Skillman, New Jersey and Durham, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

At Johnson & Johnson, I was assigned a project analyzing sensitive skin body washes. I analyzed the differences between consumer-preferred attributes of the product such as texture, appearance and odor. I conducted a small-scale study to review what consumers preferred using on the skin and their opinions of those attributes in body washes. 

At Burt’s Bees, I worked on a few different projects. My favorite was a color cosmetics project involving lip tints. I was instructed to expand the shade range of Burt’s Bees current tinted lip balm collection. I was able to directly apply the knowledge and skills that I learned from my color science class to my work! I formulated three new shades of tinted lip balm, and it was a really exciting project. 

Then I worked on a couple of other projects focused on cosmetic development. One of my projects focused on using industry-scale equipment to ensure products were of equal quality from the top of the machine to the bottom. Industry-grade machinery is huge, and I discovered how vital it is for products to be mixed uniformly in those machines to create a reliable product for consumers. If there were inconsistencies, I looked into what those meant for the product’s appearance and effectiveness. 

I also looked at sunscreen sticks and refined the product development conditions needed to match the aesthetics the brand was looking for. I observed processes such as how hot the recipe needed to be poured, how cold the recipe needed to be held to maintain shape and how long the stick needed to cure to hold up for consumer usage.

How do you think your time at the Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

It was exciting to see the application of my schooling on projects I completed for my internships. Color science was the most important piece for me, having that background knowledge made it easier for me to jump into projects and have fun with it.

Being a part of the Wilson College of Textiles has been the most formative part in preparing for my career. The community here is great and my academic department is so supportive. I feel like The Wilson College is truly a place that I can call home. When I think about my experience at NC State, I think of it in the context of the College of Textiles because of how much it has positively impacted my experiences. Having coursework that applies directly to my areas of interest has been pivotal for me in gaining valuable skills and being prepared to jump into the workforce.

Was there anything during your internship that surprised you?

The biggest thing that surprised me, and I think as a student studying science, is that I had this perception of a scientist as someone who puts on a lab coat and spends their days inside the lab. In working in research and development, I learned about how cross-functional the role of a scientist is to a company. It’s important to be able to efficiently communicate with other departments, and understand how the company’s mission is being executed in your position.

I love spending time in the lab, and that’s what I studied in school learning how to be a scientist, but working in industry as a scientist requires different skills I wasn’t necessarily expecting to have to learn. Having that work experience before getting a career was pivotal for me to learn the importance of those skills before I start a job.

Textile Engineering (B.S. TE)

Kaylee Adrievk

• Intended Graduation: May 2025 
• Employer: American & Efird
• Title: Quality Department Intern
• Internship Location: Mount Holly, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

I had several projects I worked on throughout the summer. One project was creating a test method for lube migration and staining that had been occurring on different fabrics with American & Efird thread. Another project involved setting up sensors to help catch defects and validating the defects being caught were what we wanted. I worked in the research and development (R&D) lab and physical testing lab from day to day.

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

My favorite part of the internship involved learning how to use the machines on the floor. By the end of the summer, I had created so many samples and learned how to use so many machines. It was cool to see how much I actually learned while I was there. Specifically, I loved getting to use the sewing machines and photo-spectrometer.

How do you think your time at the Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

My yarns coursework prepared me for this internship as  I came into the plant with prior knowledge on thread construction and details of the production process. This was helpful because I worked in the dyeing and finishing plant, meaning the threads came to us already made and we would add color and lube. My Lean Six Sigma class also helped during the internship because I used many Six Sigma techniques within my project, and everyone in the quality department was very familiar with Six Sigma so I felt like I came in prepared.

Gray Hensley Alford

• Intended Graduation: May 2027 
• Employer: Gildan Yarns and BMW 
• Title: Gildan Summer Intern, Assembly Engineering Co-Op, Sustainability and Efficiency Co-Op in the Press Shop
• Internship Location: Sanford, North Carolina and Spartanburg, South Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

At Gildan, I worked on Time Studies and machine errors for the Material Handlers and the Draw Frames of Vortex Spinning. At BMW, I worked my first Co-Op rotation in spring of 2024, where I worked in the Assembly hall of the X5, X6, X7, and XM under the section for wire harnesses. We had daily meetings called Schalen Rounds where we would go over our safety, headcount and defects. My favorite project that I worked on in that rotation was creating a prototype seat cover for the Raku chairs. I also ran sewing classes so that the skills that I brought to the team would not be lost when I left after my rotation. 

The other main impactful projects that I had focused on Excel. I created  code that filtered through thousands of lines of entries to sort headcount for the Hall and allowed for relevant data comprehension and filtering. It then saved a copy of its data and reset itself so that it could be used every week without breaking. I also taught Excel to our process leads to increase the effectiveness of the team. 

This semester, I am in my second rotation at BMW. I switched from Assembly to the Press Shop; here I have Gemba and production meetings every day. I also have at least two to three other meetings a day between my different projects and committees that I am on as my responsibility grows.

I have stepped up and am a leader in the BMW GenNEXT program as a member of the For Students by Students team. I plan external events as a form of community bonding among our interns. My main projects this semester center on gathering and building a database for our oil levels of the blanks going into the press line to ensure that we have the proper amount of lubrication to avoid thinning and splits. I am also working on gathering and building a baseline for our energy consumption, and turning that into a forecast for the Press Shop as our production ramps over the next three to five years. This forecast is also meant to account for different sustainability measures that I am researching and testing in the plant to see how much we can increase our sustainability.

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I have learned so much during my internship! I’d learned more German than I ever thought I would know, and met some of the most amazing people that I could ever imagine. My networking skills have skyrocketed being a part of the BMW Group. It’s incredible the amount that you can learn from someone by networking and sharing a conversation over coffee. I have learned the power of asking for feedback and how to take constructive criticism without becoming defensive. More than anything, I have learned that even if you come from wildly different backgrounds, when you share a common goal and an open mind, anything is possible.

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

I loved getting to know all the different people I never would have gotten to meet if I was not working at these companies. The best advice I have ever gotten came from people with vastly different backgrounds than mine. 

Kylie Belter

• Intended Graduation: May 2027
• Employer: Glen Raven
• Title: Manufacturing Engineering Intern
• Internship Location: Burlington, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day was mostly spent working on specific projects. However, I also had the opportunity to break up my work by weighing and processing fiber samples into slivers for new product testing. The main project I worked on was an automated maintenance management system, which took maintenance input from technicians, recorded the information and output a schedule for the next maintenance due. Through this process, I learned a lot about the maintenance and operation of yarn manufacturing machines and the impact efficient maintenance has on product quality. 

I also had the chance to work on improving supply room organization and information clarity, through which I became more familiar with machine components necessary for yarn manufacturing. My last project focused on creating a data dashboard that compiled daily production data into a meaningful display that could be used to assess production efficiency.

How do you think your time at the Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

One of the best parts of being in the manufacturing plant was seeing my course instruction in action. Going into a yarn manufacturing plant and being able to identify the different machines, processes and materials made me feel more confident. I was worried that I would not be knowledgeable enough to complete an internship while being a rising second-year student. However, my first class in textile engineering gave me a strong foundation for understanding the manufacturing process. 

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

My internship sparked a stronger interest in information technology systems for me. While I am still planning on pursuing a product development concentration within textile engineering, I am looking to take more classes related to information systems and explore that area more. I also plan to look into learning more relevant coding languages that would have been helpful to know during my internship, such as Python.

Lucy Caraballo 

• Intended Graduation: May 2025 
• Employer: UL Solutions
• Title: Engineering intern
• Internship Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned that I value connectivity in the workplace and practiced using that to connect with my coworkers throughout the summer. A professional skill I developed was reaching out and going after new opportunities within my current role. I learned not to be afraid of asking for new experiences and responsibilities and to take every chance to learn something new.

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

Everything I learned at the Textile Protection and Comfort Center helped me prepare for my internship. UL even outsources some testing to TPACC! It was really interesting to see how the Wilson College intersects with the local textile industry.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

This internship opened my eyes to how many different career paths I can explore. The scope of jobs I want to pursue has grown profusely because of this experience, and it’s exciting to know there are so many unique opportunities out there in the textile industry.

Andrianna Hodges

• Intended Graduation: May 2025
• Employer: Adidas
• Title: Materials Development for Basketball Footwear
• Internship Location: Los Angeles, California

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day responsibilities included sitting in on Fear of God Collaboration meetings. Outside of meetings, I would have coffee chats with people throughout the business and shadow different positions I was interested in. I worked on several special projects including researching how carbon fiber material could be integrated into the upper of basketball footwear, carrying out a mono mesh testing trial and experimenting with performance synthetic film molding trials.

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned about other career paths that interest me, such as product marketing and product footwear development. I discovered that in a work environment, I prefer to be busy and always have something to do. The professional skills  I developed and improved upon were communication, public speaking, problem-solving, leadership and critical thinking.

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

My time at the Wilson College of Textiles prepared me for my internship by teaching me how to navigate challenges and problem-solve to find effective solutions. It also strengthened my ability to work collaboratively within a team and understand how to contribute efficiently. Additionally, the Wilson College helped me carry myself professionally and take full advantage of the opportunities I was presented with. 

Cooper Putnam 

• Intended Graduation: May 2026 
• Employer: ATEX Technologies
• Title: Product Development Intern
• Internship Location: Pinebluff, North Carolina

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

I was responsible for handling the pacing of my project deadlines, as well as collecting data for my project. I also worked on other short-term tasks that would arise during the day.

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

My favorite part of being an intern was the people I worked with. I felt like I was part of the family atmosphere that was very present around the ATEX Technologies office.

How do you think your time at Wilson College helped prepare you for your internship?

The Wilson College helped me feel equipped academically with textile engineering skills. I also was able to use skills like professionalism and responsibility that I have developed as a Centennial Scholar to be an effective employee.

Textile Technology (B.S. TT)

Jordan Everett 

• Intended Graduation: May 2025 
• Employer: Kohl’s 
• Title: Inventory Analyst Intern
• Internship Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day responsibilities involved collaborating with the merchant team to develop new initiatives to move merchandise within the department cost efficiently and quickly. I analyzed on-hand inventory and weeks of supply, and implemented new strategies to improve sitting inventory within the department. I formulated improvements on package sizing sent to vendors as well as working on a project to evaluate the department’s weekly profit margins. A lot of my time went into understanding inventory management and communicating new ideas with department managers

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned that I am adaptable and I love to learn new things. I learned to trust my abilities and push myself out of my comfort zone. I also learned to be open to creating new connections and getting to know others.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

This internship allowed me to see the retail industry as a whole rather than just the manufacturing side. I also realized that I want a hands-on job, but not necessarily within supply chain. I would like to work a job  that handles materials.

Master of Textiles

Meredith Gaskill 

• Intended Graduation: December 2024
• Employer: Cisco Global Field Marketing
• Title: Marketing Specialist Intern
• Internship Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned so much about myself during this internship, especially what kind of companies interest me! I learned that I want to work in marketing for an innovative and fast-paced company, and that I love working on dynamic teams with multiple projects happening at the same time.

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

My favorite part of my time as an intern was traveling to San Francisco, California with my intern cohort team and presenting our final projects on Cisco Live TV! We also got to explore around California and build relationships in person with our intern cohort.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

This experience definitely helped me to gain experience and exposure to jobs in marketing, as well as exposure into a huge company that is doing very exciting things across the world! After this experience, I’ve realized that I definitely want to pursue a career in marketing upon graduation.

M.S Textile Chemistry

Chelan West 

• Intended Graduation: December 2024
• Employer: Nike
• Title: Footwear Materials Innovation Graduate Intern
• Internship Location: Beaverton, Oregon

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

As a graduate student intern, my time was largely devoted to my specific intern project. Most of my time was spent coordinating with vendors and industry partners for the particular products I was working with. I spent a lot of time in the lab working on rolled goods I also attended project meetings that my team held that one of my direct managers was involved in. The other time was spent networking, participating in intern programming events, happy hours, going for runs and experiencing the company culture at Nike. 

Interning at Nike is such a great way to expand your network with other interns and employees. Portland is also such a fun city and there’s so much to do outside of work. Nike truly wants you to prioritize daily movement and they make it very accessible for employees.

What did you learn about yourself and what professional skills did you develop?

I learned that a proper balance between hands-on research and computer work is important for me. In a full-time position, I learned I want to understand on a deeper level the materials we are working with while also collaborating with outside networks to further advance the industry.

How did this experience impact your college plan/career trajectory? Do you still want to pursue the same types of jobs?

I’ve known for a while that I wanted to be in the material development space for footwear, so this position was perfect for my career trajectory. I felt so supported at Nike, and extremely confident going into my internship because of my education. I feel even more confident having some industry experience now!

Ph.D. Fiber and Polymer Science

Akanksha Pragya

• Internship Location: Mason, Ohio
• Intended Graduation: December 2025
• Employer: Procter & Gamble
• Title: Ph.D. Scientist Intern (Absorbent Textiles for Fluid Management)

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

I worked on enhancing the fluid-handling properties of a reusable menstrual product and enabling ultra-fast rinsing in it. This project was especially special to me because I was involved in a social entrepreneurship project during my bachelor’s degree that was based on providing accessible and affordable menstrual product solutions to underprivileged women. I also worked on one of P&G’s current marker products called “Proof.”

What was your favorite part of your time as an intern?

My favorite part of my time as an intern was definitely networking! I spoke with a ton of people from all sorts of business units, from brands and finance to data and electronics. I had the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with the Chief Technology Officer of P&G and it was one of the key highlights of my internship. On a lighter note, I loved exploring the city with my fellow interns, going to baseball games and exploring food festivals.

Was there anything during your internship that surprised you?

The time commitment behind each P&G product was astonishing. The science-intensive work that this company conducts, ranging from chemistry to electronics to data, was surprising as well. There is so much technical work behind a lot of our everyday products, and it was exciting to see firsthand.