By Emma Robinson ’27, Visual Studies
A Recent Graduate with a Head Start
Making waves with an internship at Disney, Alisa Nikishin ’26, Illustration, has hit the ground running.
Nikishin’s style is whimsical and expressive, with most pieces displaying varying flora and fauna. As a student, she was best known for designing Ringling College’s 2026 admission poster; the piece illustrates a fearless warrior championing her bengal tiger with two loyal dogs in tow. The poster draws audiences in with its evocative design and leaves them feeling ready for any battle that lies ahead—in this case, incoming students preparing for their first year of college.
With many other awards under her belt, including placing in Best of Ringling three out of her four years at Ringling College, as well as a previous summer internship with Under Armour, it was only a matter of time before her next big project.
A Rare Opportunity
Internships are often reserved for the summer as students spend their final weeks in a semester finishing up finals and theses, with few exceptions and guidelines for other possibilities.
When Nikishin was accepted to Disney’s internship program during the school year, the opportunity was too good to pass up. Working with the Illustration Department and Head of Illustration, Christina Hess, Nikishin was able to turn her internship into her capstone project as well.
The Spring Internship
Nikishin was hired onto Disney as a Creative Design Intern for their talent connection management team. Her role is extremely diverse and allows for collaboration with many other parts of the Walt Disney Company.
Her responsibilities include creating graphics for social media posts, cruise line materials, and audition announcements, as well as other promotional materials for podcasts, recruitment posters, and college programs.
Artist Information
Alisa Nikishin is a freelance artist currently based in Orlando, Florida, who brings stories to life through narrative-led digital and traditional illustrations.
More information about Nikishin can be found on her website as well as her instagram account.
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