By Emma Robinson ’27, Visual Studies
The jet set internship
In California for the summer, Itzel Arellano ’27, Illustration, is interning directly at Mattel headquarters. Arellano is a vibrant and expressive artist who works in a wide variety of disciplines and specializes in traditional and digital painting, and, when at school, can be found across campus participating in events and school-wide competitions.
Arellano has already made a name for herself at Ringling College with her submissions to charity art auctions and Illest of Ill, as well as placing third in this year’s Porter Wine Label Competition. She also worked for Sarasota’s Science and Environment Council over four months as part of a previous illustration internship.
Ready, set, go!
Arellano’s time at Mattel is spent as a Design Intern for Hot Wheels as part of a team creating lines of toy cars, all the way from theme exploration to actual car design and packaging graphics. When not working on new designs, Arellano’s team reimagines previous teams’ work to fit in with modern styles.
Mattel interns consist of creative minds from around the world working together to create the best toys on the market for younger generations. Each intern is shown the ropes by an assigned mentor and buddy, both of whom give an inside look into the job by connecting to peers, answering questions, and organizing work to help each individual get the most out of their internship.
A lot of trust is put into the interns at Hot Wheels and Mattel. Hours are long, decisions are difficult, and assignments are extensive, but to Arellano, it is a challenge she is ready to conquer.
