CPA welcomes and encourages student employees from any major

By Ariana J. Lee

Time spent pursuing an undergraduate degree at Penn State is only a fraction of a student’s life, yet those four years can make an impact that last forever.

During those years, many students may visit the Center for the Performing Arts for an entertaining or educational event. Some students may get to view that same auditorium stage-side, as a performer. Even fewer students get the chance to work behind the scenes of the auditorium as a valued staff member. Keeping the gears of the Center running smoothly requires a number of hard-working hands, talented minds and passionate hearts.

Finding a role at the CPA

The CPA hires new interns and student team members almost every year, but not all of them land the job through the same avenues.

Marketing intern Sydney Waldner (public relations, Class of 2026) said Julie Miller, an adviser in the career office of Bellisario College of Communications, steered her toward the role.

“I was looking for an internship for the semester for credit, and actually she had recommended this role to me,” she said. She interviewed with Marketing Director Laura Sullivan and got the job.

Some students, such as Tessa Trax (music education, Class of 2029), went with a more direct route. She contacted the CPA customer service supervisor to inquire about an open role as an Arts Ticket Center assistant.

“On my first week here, I was at band camp, and I emailed Keith [Brainard] and I was like, Do you have any availability a week before school?” she said. “And I literally went for my interview in the middle of band camp.”

A student job that builds on your career

During their employment, many student workers have opened themselves to all the new opportunities and experiences the Center has to offer. The world of performance takes on a whole new light from the perspective of the employee rather than the visitor.

Students in the marketing department said their work alongside full-time team members provide various opportunities to use other skills. Social media intern Kara Lin (marketing, Class of 2028) said her role allows her to use her creativity and try her hand at internet trends. Photography intern Geraldine Cruz-Hernandez (photojournalism, Class of 2027) said she shares the same sentiment.

“[The work] allows me to be more creative, as a lot of my classes are very journalistic, and I don’t really get to tap into [my] artsy side,” she said.

For other students, their careers and classes may be more intertwined. This is the case for Delaney Cohen (doubling in digital art and media design and advertising, Class of 2027), an associate graphic designer with marketing. She said her favorite part about her role is “all the people I’ve been able to meet and also just learning more about the field that I kind of want to go into, career-wise.”

Izzy Landis (music education, Class of 2026) graduated in May but is returning as a graduate student in the fall. She said she has worked in the ticketing office for the past few years and shared her love for a role that allowed her to grow her career.

“My favorite part about my role at the CPA is that I am training in work that is related to my field, but that is not necessarily exactly what I’m doing,” she said. “It’s more the administration side of music rather than the teaching part.”

While some students love the opportunity the CPA has given them to work in fields related to their career paths, others say their role here has directly changed their paths for the better.

Cecelia McLellan (data sciences, Class of 2028), an arts engagement assistant with The Spotlight Collective, said, “I started off as a mechanical engineering major, and I hated it.” She said it was Administration Coordinator Jordan Wilson who helped her realize that “I should be in [the] College of IST, and I should make a career out of loving data and numbers.”

Whether it’s a chance to work in a career they love or discover an entirely new one altogether, students who work at the CPA have found it rewarding in more than a monetary way.

A word of advice for students of any year

The CPA employs students of any level—freshman to seniors. The Class of 2026 graduated in May, and a few seniors who have spent their undergraduate years working at the CPA are moving on to the next stages of their lives.

While many of these students have spent the past four years in different degrees, they share a common sentiment when it comes to their time spent at the CPA. The people, full-time team members and other student employees are what seniors say they’ll miss the most from this role. Whether it’s working on the marketing end or greeting visitors at the front-of-house, employees can always feel a welcoming sense of camaraderie at the CPA.

A word of advice?

“Go to more shows, and take advantage of all the events that are happening,” said ticketing assistant Mayuri Punari (psychology, Class of 2026).

Watch the students’ testimonials at the Center’s Instagram.

Would you like to become a part of the CPA team? Opportunity is just around the corner! Visit the Employment page for more information about open positions.

Ariana J. Lee (architecture, Class of 2028) is a marketing communications intern at the Center for the Performing Arts.

The Center for the Performing Arts and the Arts Ticket Center are parts of the Penn State College of Arts & Architecture.