MIAD interns aim high at Bucks; offer internship advice

Two Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) students interning for the Milwaukee Bucks are thrilled with the variety of their work, the collaborative brainstorming and brand support skills they are gaining and the joy of seeing their work in use by the Bucks organization.

“At the Bucks, graphic designers get to work on a wide range of projects,” says James Walter ’26 (Communication Design). “This includes not only work for the Milwaukee Bucks, but also for Fiserv Forum events/concerts, Deer District buildings/events, Wisconsin Herd graphics … employee resource groups and more! I love connecting with people in different departments and learning how to work in different mediums and styles of design.”

Emma Jenkins ’25 (Communication Design), who was also named a 2024 Student to Watch by GDUSA, agrees. “It’s been fun pushing the boundaries of my creativity while also sticking within Bucks brand standards…. I just finished designing a logo and bus wrap for a new campaign they are working on!”

Getting an internship with the Bucks was a passion project for both students. “I love design and sports,” says Walter. “I spent almost an entire Saturday listening to music and grinding out resume updates to make my application as appealing as possible.”

Bucks fan Jenkins was inspired by the 2024 All-Star campaign work that Bree Vouga ’23, now a graphic designer for the Bucks, had done as an intern. “I knew I wanted to be a part of it too,” Jenkins says. “I just got my heart set on it and did what I had to do!”

Walter offers the following advice for MIAD students seeking internships: “Take insight from your idols, apply rigorously and seek the source.”

“To explain, I think it’s important to dissect what your creative idols do that you like. Make sure to combine these to create a unique portfolio of work that represents you. This will help you to pick up characteristics that lead to internship success.

“The second piece of advice, apply vigorously, can be tedious but is crucial. When I started applying for internships, I made an effort to submit as many applications as possible. From there, I narrowed down to my favorite position, the Milwaukee Bucks, once I received offers. This is important because the job market today is very competitive and getting your name out there as much as possible will never hurt you.

“This ties into my third piece of advice, which is to seek the source of your potential employer. It’s important to apply directly to the website, make a call or visit the building/job fair where your internship is if available. Sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter and others often have too much competition.”

And, advises Jenkins, “Be confident in who you are as a designer, and be yourself!”

Learn more about MIAD’s Communication Design major. Apply to MIAD.