Perrin Crespi BA’22 recently started a position as an events and communications assistant at BioMADE (Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Crespi is a civic communication and media major with minors in studio art and sociology.
Perrin recently spoke with Pacific Northwest College of Art’s Office of Career Design about how an internship was a crucial step in her journey from student to professional. Responses have been edited.
Q: How did you find your internship and what was it like?
I met up with Lynn Brown, director of the Office of Career Design, at the beginning of my senior year. During the summer after graduation, I was able to have a Zoom call with her when I was having trouble finding a job. She helped me with my resume, figure out the job title I was looking for and set up my LinkedIn.
One of the applications she said I should look into was for a communications assistant with the Joint BioEnergy Institute, a lab within University of California Berkeley. Although I didn’t have much of a background in science, I got the internship. And they kept extending it because I loved what I was doing, and they loved that I was enthusiastic about it.
As a communications assistant, I updated websites, created graphics, contacted people through email outreach and worked on internal communications.
Q: What were your biggest takeaways from your internship?
Pay attention to what you’re interested in and what skills you can provide. In my internship, when I wanted to try something new, I was able to take those small steps to learn how to do it, but when I really stayed true to what I studied in school…those were my best projects.
Another big takeaway is keeping connections strong. I was blessed to have met with an incredible mentor through the internship. She let me have a lot of first experiences, like conducting interviews, writing profile pieces, creating graphics and slideshows based on scientific reports. She was the one that led me to the career that I’m in now.
When I was a senior in college, I never thought that I would be involved in science. I did not come from a scientific background. Through my internship, I learned that you don’t need to have a firm grasp on those intricate details that they teach you in science classes to be able to support science. I was able to discover a passion for it.
Q: What is your new job?
I’m an events and communications associate. At BioMADE, we fund programs, startups, nonprofits and schools that are interested in becoming a part of bioindustrial manufacturing. We support efforts toward sustainability, like replacing petroleum-based products, producing plant-based food, fabric, products — anything that you could think of that can be created through biology and biomanufacturing.
Q: What is your long-term vision for your career?
I would love to continue working in science communications and eventually become a communications manager.
Visit Perrin’s art and design portfolio.
