Senior Greta Hays has been selected for a prestigious arts management internship at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Hays had applied for 14 internships and was selected for several of them before she found out that she had succeeded in gaining the internship position at the Kennedy Center. She took this incredible position, and will be spending her spring semester in D.C.
Hays has always loved theatre, especially acting. She enjoys talking with and getting to know people, which she says is what led her to major in Public Relations. She also decided to pursue a Theatre and Speech minor. During her sophomore year of college, Hays realized that she could combine her two interests.
“That was a pretty exciting realization!” said Hays.
Hays has been deeply involved during her time at NW. She has worked as a student assistant in the communications department, as an account executive for the college’s public relations practicum group, Crosswalk Media, and served for the NW public relations office as a freelance writer.
In addition, Hays has performed in several of NW’s theatre productions, including last spring’s musical, “Into the Woods,” for which her performance received a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship nomination.
“Greta is so talented and will be a wonderful representative of Northwestern’s theatre and public relations programs,” said NW Endowed Professor of Theatre & Speech Jeff Barker.
Hays, along with 19 other talented Kennedy Center interns, will be spending her spring semester performing tasks dealing with publicity, promotion and coordination for the national Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF). The festival is a competitive showcase of regional KCACTF winners from graduate and undergraduate theatre programs around the country. The event will take place April 18-23, 2011.
Hays said she is hoping the internship will provide her with some fantastic hands-on experience, and “a chance to see first-hand what a professional fine arts environment is like.”
The internship comes with more benefits than just experience. Hays will not only be receiving a weekly stipend and the chance to attend seminars put on by Kennedy Center employees and executives of other major arts institutions in the D.C. area, but she will also receive free tickets to all Kennedy Center performances taking place this spring.
“It’s bittersweet,” Hays said about the changes that will happen next semester. “I am excited about the opportunity I’ve been given, but it’s pretty hard to think about leaving the Northwestern community and all my friends.”
