At exactly 11:00 a.m., the doors to the Santos Manuel Student Union swung opened, and with them, and filled the room with a rush of possibility. Inside, was the 2nd Annual Arts & Humanities Career and Internship Fair buzzing with energy, handshakes, and opportunity as students clutched their resumes, exchanged greetings greeted recruiters with recruiters, and and moved with a purpose from booth to booth with purpose. For many, this was more than a fair, as it was a launchpad.
Hosted by the College of Arts and Letters at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), this year’s fair brought together over 50 organizations, with many of them local nonprofits and small businesses, offering internships in media production, journalism, education, performance, creative writing, public service, and more.
“The Arts & Humanities Career and Internship Fair is offered once a year in April,” said Dr. Sunny Hyron, Professor of Linguistics and Coordinator of the Professional and Career Readiness Center for Students at CSUSB. “This was only our second annual event, and it which took nearly almost a year to put together.”
Hyron, alongside Professors Brian Heisterkamp and Andrew Oakes, as well as staff members Alberto Rendon, Sarai Maldonado, and a team of student assistants, worked tirelessly to make the event a success. Their efforts were not in vain. And a success it indeed was. From booths hosted by community theatre groups, and production companies, to a local congressman’s office, students had a wide range of career pathways to explore. The event emphasized not only job placement and but also the vital skill of networking, giving students a chance to communicate endorse to potential employers their talents, ambitions, skills and their creative visions. to potential employers.
Looking ahead, Hyron is hopeful encouraged that the fair will grow. “Next year, we hope to bring in more companies in entertainment industries” ,” she said, her tone filled with promise. Hyron continues her tone filled with promise “employers in gaming and animation.
By the time the event wrapped up at 2:00 p.m., something had shifted. Many students left with interviews scheduled, while others left simply inspired. Regardless, students now walked away with a swagger – with a handful of business cards in one hand, multiple flyers in the other they carried their handful of business cards, flyers as they now carried and a new sense of purpose in their heart. A confident swagger replaced earlier nerves. Many left with interviews scheduled – others left simply inspired. However, whatever they took with them, it was crystal clear one thing was clear: the future of Arts and Humanities at CSUSB is bright, booming and it is just getting started.