The Iconic New York City Internships of NYU Students: Part Two

When you think of “iconic” and “New York City,” the Metropolitan Museum of Art is sure to come to mind! Olivia Federici, a senior at Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, was the media relations and communications intern for the Met during the spring of her junior year. The Media, Culture, and Communication major’s responsibilities included monitoring the museum’s media mentions, tracking weekly event coverage, and handling press inquiries. What’s more, she designed press kit materials and assisted in streamlining press previews for upcoming exhibitions.

“I was in awe the entire time I worked at the Met,” Olivia says. “Working with an institution meaningful to me and arts lovers everywhere was incredibly gratifying. I also got to work in the communications department right before the 2024 Met Gala. It was exciting to work on projects pertinent to this famous event!”

The most rewarding part of this dream New York City internship? “Organizing new exhibitions from the communications side and then getting to see those spaces open to the public,” Olivia says. “I walked through galleries while staff were still deciding on paint colors and wall texts. Watching that process from conception to execution and public consumption was enthralling.”

Sophomore Sasha Getz studies environmental science, economics, and applied mathematics at Gallatin School of Individualized Study. In addition, she interns at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. As the policy and planning fellow, she works on clean construction initiatives that directly impact the city. Sasha applied for this New York City internship through Gallatin’s City Government Internship Grant. This grant pairs NYU students with New York City government organizations and provides selected students with funding. 

Sasha’s responsibilities at the Office of the Mayor include analyzing the annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, conducting an electric construction equipment inventory to support clean construction policy work, and supporting her colleagues with marine emissions modeling.

“There is a lot of exciting work that I get to take part in,” says Sasha. “I’m involved at the front lines of memo writing for electric construction equipment and building benchmarking policy proposals. What’s more, I’m meeting directly with the leaders of government agencies in New York, like the Department of Buildings, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.”

With such pivotal work happening, you might picture a serious office environment. However, Sasha says this is not the case. “The office vibe is very chill—not uptight, like people may expect for government jobs,” she explains. “My experience has been incredibly rich in a way that I couldn’t have even imagined.”

As one of the world’s most renowned theatre destinations, New York City is full of opportunities for drama enthusiasts to get involved both on the stage and behind the curtain. For senior Carolina Hurtado Castro, a Gallatin student studying the business of entertainment, producing, and Latin American representation, this means interning at the famous Under the Radar (UTR) Theatre Festival.

Carolina’s main responsibility as the artist and presenter relations intern is to liaise between UTR and artists, presenters, and venues. However, she says, “I’ve been able to delve into so many more things, including scheduling, ticketing, proofreading, and creating artist packets. Everyone at UTR is so nice and has gone above and beyond to ensure that we interns learn so much.”

Carolina plans to work in theatre after graduation. Her New York City internship with UTR has been an exceptional opportunity to build relevant experience. “This internship has allowed me to meet with people from the theatre industry all over New York City, which has been incredibly rewarding for my professional development,” she says.

Because Carolina is an international student, Maia Safani, associate director of arts administration at Gallatin, offered her additional support to ensure she could legally work at UTR from September to January. Safani was also the one who shared Carolina’s curriculum vitae with her contacts at UTR, helping her land an interview. “Maia did everything and beyond so I could have this opportunity,” says Carolina. “Being international, everything regarding internships is so complicated. Having people vouch for you to get these opportunities was something I really appreciated.”