Name: Joanna

Year: Junior

Major(s): Economics

Minor(s): 

CFS Program: Field Studies in the Modern Workplace

I am interning at a social enterprise called Two Penny Blue, located in Chicago’s Southport Corridor. Two Penny Blue is an omnichannel retail brand, selling both online and in its flagship store. Its core mission is to educate, empower, and inspire women, which it pursues by donating a school uniform to a girl in need in Africa, and donating 5% of its net profits towards the same cause.

I couldn’t have landed a more perfect internship! My position does not have a title, but I don’t see this as a bad thing because that means I am able to get work in all parts of the business (from sales to e-commerce to merchandising). This is exactly what I wanted to do, because I want to know what my strengths can play to in the industry. And of course, working in an all-women company that supports and promotes women empowerment is a fantastic bonus!

I knew that looking for an internship that aligned with my career goals was going to be a challenge, considering the fact that Northwestern is a research-based university rather than creative arts. The CFS network had a few fashion opportunities but they didn’t exactly align with my internship goals, and there weren’t many alumni or even current students I could reach out to. So Karen, my CFS advisor, and I were relying mostly on cold emails and Google searches. Karen played such a huge role in my landing a solid internship – she helped begin conversations, managed concerns about visas for international students, and not to mention kept my spirits up when our searches would hit dead ends!

I’m going into the sixth week of my internship and I’m already dreading its completion. Waking up a little earlier everyday to commute for an hour took a little getting used to, but it has totally paid off. I can’t wait to see how the rest of my internship unfolds!