This week, student editor Regan Meyer spoke with senior Olivia Graul about her current internship with Vera Wang as well as her time studying with Belmont East in New York City. Below is the transcribed interview:

Regan Meyer: What is your major?

Olivia Graul: I am a Corporate Communication Major, Marketing minor.

RM: What grade are you in?

OG: I am a senior graduating in May.

RM: What made you interested in Belmont East?

OG: I want to go into the fashion industry, so an internship in NYC was a dream, and it came true! Also, I am from Nashville, and so I know I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone and get out of my hometown for a little.

RM: How did your decision to participate in Belmont East impact your course schedule prior to leaving?

OG: To make up for the fewer credit hours I am taking over Belmont East, I took a few online classes over the summer to stay on track to graduate on time!

RM: What is your internship? Where is it located?

OG: I am the Bridal Retail intern for Vera Wang. I work at Vera Wang’s flagship store located in the Upper East Side.

RM: How did you obtain your internship?

OG: I found my internship on my own just by scouring the Internet for every opportunity. I eventually found the opportunity to email resumes for internships with Vera Wang, went through the interview process, and got offered the internship!

RM: How is the work/school/life balance working for you in NYC? Is it different balancing everything in a bigger city than Nashville?

OG: Interning full time and taking classes online is totally different than being a full-time student back in Nashville. Life is so fast-paced here in the city. It actually isn’t too had to balance, as long as you stick to a schedule. Most of us here pick a day we have off of work to do school assignments.

RM: How is the housing?

OG: Housing is great! We live in a dorm, so it still feels like you’re a student, but also like a freshman because you share a room and don’t have much living space. There’s a communal kitchen in the building and lots of stuff to do. We also get access to the gym next door, which is very nice. We live in Brooklyn Heights, which is a very nice area. All in all, the living situation is great.

RM: How do you feel your internship is preparing you for the “real world”, if at all?

OG: I feel like my internship is giving me a true taste of adult life. I’m the only intern in my situation, so I’m surrounded by adults working their full-time jobs. It’s like being plopped into the adult world and getting a snippet of it for a semester. It’s crazy to think I’m still a student while all of this is going on.

RM: What is your favorite/and or/ the most surprising thing about your internship? About New York?

OG: My favorite thing about NYC is how much there is to do. I love being busy, and I really always am. It’s cool to work for such an amazing company, as well, that is so highly regarded in the industry. I knew I was coming into a different culture than southern hospitality, but the way people carry themselves really is surprising and different. It’s cool to experience a different culture. There’s no other place like NYC.