When I first applied to Hasbro, I thought it was a long shot. The Product Design Co-Op position description read like an absolute dream. I submitted my application thinking that I would be happy with just an interview, but when I was offered a position with My Little Pony and Littlest Pet Shop, brands that I have loved since I was a little girl, I couldn’t believe it. And now that I’m almost done with my time in this position, I can safely say that it has not stopped feeling incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work with this team.

At first, I was worried because I was unfamiliar with toy design, but that quickly wore off as I was given design tasks immediately. It was no longer about “I don’t know how to do this,” but rather “this is so exciting, what can I do next?” My contributions were viewed alongside seasoned designers’ and it gave me a lot of confidence in my work. I may have been nervous to work in a professional environment like Hasbro as a student, but I am now confident that I am a capable designer in my own right after my experience on this team.

The responsibilities of this position have pushed me to navigate the transition from student to professional and become savvy in skills not exercised in the classroom. I am responsible for managing my workload and prioritizing tasks that don’t have the due date of “next class.” Working remotely has been an additional challenge, but it’s pushed me to continue checking in and staying connected with my team so that we are all on the same page. I’ve also learned about a field that I hadn’t even considered as a potential career path before. As an illustrator, story and fantasy are part of what make my work fun, so it was a natural transition to apply that to toys!

And all that I learned before I was given my biggest challenge: designing and pitching my own toys. It’s been a huge project to tackle on my own, but the support of my team has been instrumental in getting it this far. It’s really made me realize how important it is for me to work with other people. An environment where I can bounce ideas off of other creative brains is something that pushes my work to the next level. And through this work, I’ve developed skills like doing control drawings, spec sheets, play pattern illustrations, as well as strengthening my story, and design skills.

Working at Hasbro on the My Little Pony and Littlest Pet Shop team has been the highlight of my senior year. I would not be where I am now if not for the people here pushing me to grow in new directions. Prospective interns, my advice to you is to look for an environment that respects you and that is excited to see you grow. I found that here at Hasbro, and I hope you do too.