This week we welcomed our new CAPA intern, Jillian, who will be working at Magpie Dance for the next 5 weeks. To get to know Jillian, we asked her some questions about herself and what she hopes to gain from her role.
Q: Introduce yourself and your background in dance.
A: My name is Jillian Tombul, and I am a rising junior at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. I have been involved with dance for the past nine years and am pursuing my passion for dance as a dance minor at Samford. I fell in love with modern dance when I was around 12 years old through my school and continued in my school programs throughout middle and high school, along with taking some outside classes.
Q: How did you get involved with Magpie Dance?
A: I got the amazing opportunity to study abroad this summer in London while taking classes and getting an internship. Through CAPA, I was able to explain my studies at school and what I hoped my internship would allow me to be a part of. I knew I wanted a job that would allow me to be creative, and was hoping my internship would involve dance in some way. CAPA paired me perfectly with a job that allows me to use my growing knowledge of business and my love for dance at Magpie Dance.
Q: What are you hoping to experience and accomplish over the next five weeks of your internship?
A: Over the next five weeks I am hoping to become a more well-rounded student, worker, and person. This experience allows me to form relationships with co-workers from a different cultural background than me. Along with studying in London, a dream come true, I get to expand my horizons and see how people in other parts of the world live and interact with each other. In the future, I am hoping to own a non-profit that brings fine arts to areas in need because of the tremendous benefits they bring. My internship with Magpie Dance gives me insight into my goals because I will get to learn about the benefits of dance among people with learning disabilities. Besides getting connected to this incredible program through CAPA and getting to continue being involved within the dance community, I am also hoping to learn more about business. I have the privilege of assisting the whole team, rather than one specific person, so I get to be involved in more than one area of business. I am anticipating working on my skills in marketing, finance, and administration, as well as forming connections with new people and getting out of my comfort zone by using programs I am not accustomed to. So far, I have already gotten to improve my marketing skills by making flyers and social media advertisements. I am looking forward to seeing the outcomes of my internship through CAPA with Magpie Dance over the next five weeks and I cannot wait to bring what I learn back home to the states!
We are so excited to have Jillian working with us!