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Meow Wolf launched its 2023 summer internship, this time across all exhibition locations.
Artist credit: Kai Nakamura
This is our sixth internship cohort since Summer 2021, bringing us up to 74 interns who have gone through the Meow Wolf Internship program. We had 20 interns across Vegas, Denver, and Santa Fe for this round. Here are what some of the 2023 interns had to share about their experience.
I’m Elena Nava. I attended SFCC and graduated with an Associate’s in Creative Writing as well as a certificate. I’m the Story Experience Intern and I’ve been an intern for over a year. The most inspiring thing for me here was the people. I’ve had the opportunity to work with different departments and have met people who are eager to create – I've never experienced that anywhere else but here. A cool thing I’d like to share is, that one of the lines I wrote is now featured in Meow Wolf Grapevine – it’s called S.A.M.M.i. It’s the only one that doesn't have an English translation, it’s all written in Spanish and voiced in Spanish. I got to listen to it in The Real Unreal and I’m very proud to have been able to share my language in one of the exhibits.
Trevor Howard is currently studying strategic communications with a focus on advertising at the University of Colorado Boulder. Trevor worked as the marketing intern for Meow Wolf Denver. Trevor did a multitude of things for the marketing department, he made social posts, and media lists for press releases, took videos at events and concerts, helped out with photo shoots, took over the Instagram page, and many other tasks to help the marketing department. Trevor had been to all of the Meow Wolf locations before his internship, making this the dream internship for him. Learning all the nuances of marketing in the one-of-a-kind environment that Meow Wolf provides has been such a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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From Elle Olguin: I am a senior at Colorado State University majoring in communications with a minor in the music business. I had the incredible opportunity to intern with Meow Wolf's events team over the summer. This experience has been nothing short of transformative. The dedication and motivation of each member of the events crew inspired me daily. Their seamless blend of professionalism and approachability created an environment where I was able to learn and contribute to the team. I consider myself fortunate to have been a part of this team. Beyond acquiring a comprehensive understanding of event management, I found confidence in my ideas and talents. Through this internship, I was not only encouraged to strive for excellence but given the tools and guidance to surpass my expectations. I am grateful for the growth and knowledge that this experience has provided me. The skills I've acquired, the relationships I've built, and the self-assuredness I've gained will undoubtedly shape my future in the music business. With every late-night and successful event execution, I've realized that stepping out of my comfort zone has been the beginning of becoming a more accomplished version of myself. I look forward to applying the knowledge I've acquired from this internship to my future career within the music industry.
My name is Emma Ziegler and I am currently studying Theatre at UNM. I was an intern in the Exhibit Tech and Maintenance team at Meow Wolf Santa Fe. Each day I did a walkthrough of the exhibit to make sure that everything was working and repaired anything needing some attention. I also shadowed repair jobs for anything on a larger scale. I learned more about how the exhibit runs and operates from the technical side, and learned coding and programming. I even developed water patterns for a LED water fountain! My final project was a project board that triggers lights and multiple voices saying, "toast" when a certain button is pushed. I also learned a lot about how an immersive experience operates and is managed on a day-to-day basis.
I learned a lot of new skills which inspired me to get out there and create more, and also to explore new pathways to express myself and the ideas behind a project. I really appreciate the community here and the connections I was able to make. I felt included through every step and I think it's really valuable as an intern to be able to come in and participate – I was able to learn as much as I did because I got to participate in what was going on around me. Is it weird to say that I also have come to realize how I deserve to be treated as an employee because of this?
Christine Deming is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Entertainment Engineering and Design at UNLV. She interned in the Exhibit Tech department at Omega Mart, working closely with the tech and scenic teams to renovate the Slurp Zone machine. Through the program, she developed her technical repair and fabrication skills. Christine also gained new experience in multimedia programming. She felt that her internship was a great outlet for furthering her technical skills, as well as deepening her appreciation for the arts.
My name is Espers and I graduated from the University of New Mexico in May with a bachelor's degree in Organizational Communication. During my internship with Meow Wolf, I worked with the Social Impact Team/Community Engagement department. I helped plan and facilitate various community events, such as Santa Fe Pride, aided in research for “green” eco-friendly art projects, and collaborated with my mentor in maintaining Meow Wolf Santa Fe’s new community space, Rainbow Rainbow. This internship taught me how important the community is to the success of such an interactive organization. Wherever I go next, I want to stay involved in a career that supports the community they serve.
Nick Bilt is a recent graduate from UNLV with a Bachelor's in the Science of Hospitality. He interned in Meow Wolf Las Vegas’ Sales and Marketing team. This included social media, public relations, group sales, and more. Nick worked with all members of Omega Mart’s marketing team and got to experience all parts of how to market and sell an immersive experience. Nick’s takeaway from the summer was a greater understanding of marketing and all the moving parts and how every aspect supports another to create maximum brand awareness.
America Ochoa is a recent college graduate with a degree in Hospitality Management from CSN. This summer she worked closely with the Operations & Bar team at Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart exhibit. She had the opportunity to create a potential bar menu for Datamosh and considered taste profiles, presentation, and bar inventory. America was also very present in daily operations and was able to help with elevating guests' expectations on the floor. She says that interning at Meow Wolf has been a very rewarding experience. She learned so much about operations and what is going to be expected of her in her future career. She also said that she was able to meet amazing people who really cared about setting her up for success and she was really grateful for the opportunity.
Althea Santos is studying Marketing and Management at UNR, with a minor in Computer Science and Engineering. As a Community Engagement Intern, she worked with the Social Impact team. She assisted in the coordination of community activations, staff volunteering events, fielding requests for support, and researching local nonprofits for partnership opportunities. She said she learned so much from the experiences of those around her at Meow Wolf. Althea recalls, “No question was left unanswered and everyone was there to support you and see you succeed. I was able to develop my professional skills while having fun at the same time!"
My name is Erin Ruiz. I studied UX/UI Design and Fullstack Web Development with CNM Ingenuity’s Deep Dive Boot Camps. I had the amazing opportunity to intern with the Product and Engineering department. I worked closely with the Frontend Software Engineering team and was able to contribute to the functionality and user experience of Meow Wolf’s ticketing site. The internship has been a pivotal experience that has solidified my passion for web development. My time at Meow Wolf was filled with hands-on learning, a supportive environment, and a glimpse into the dynamics of working with an exceptional team. I am truly grateful to Meow Wolf and the Product and Engineering team for fueling my growth and firing up my inspiration!
Kai Nakamura, is a recent graduate from The University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management, and interned with the Sales & Marketing team at Meow Wolf Santa Fe. Nakamura worked on photographing community events, creating Instagram Stories/Reels, managing local business relationships, and bringing his creativity to the team. During his time with Meow Wolf, he said, “This internship provided me with more than I could have asked for. The whole team is full of people who are true to themselves and push you to be the best version of yourself. This internship was different from others where they allowed me to pursue what I wanted to learn and helped me grow in those areas. I am very thankful for this opportunity, and will take everything I learned with me into the next chapter of my life”.
