Hello! My name is Veronica and I’m a Product Design Intern/Co-op in the Star Wars department. I can’t believe it has almost been a month since I started at Hasbro! Looking back on everything that’s happened, I’ve definitely learned a lot. But first, let’s rewind to the beginning of this story:

I’m currently a senior at Yale University double majoring in art and mechanical engineering. I knew as soon as it was announced that all classes in the fall would be online, that spending four months sitting through virtual art and engineering lectures would not cut it in terms of professional and personal growth. Luckily, Hasbro’s co-op program seemed like the perfect opportunity for a gap semester. I have always loved storytelling and modelmaking, so this was right up my alley. After two virtual interviews, I officially joined the Star Wars team!

The program being entirely remote was unfortunate, but not unexpected. I knew that I wouldn’t be getting the typical intern experience, but I was still ecstatic to work on one of my favorite brands. During the month leading up to the start of the internship, all I wanted to do was re-watch all of the Star Wars movies and shows!

Going into the first week, I was excited but also nervous. I didn’t know what kinds of tasks I would be doing or who I was going to be working with. The Star Wars design team turned out to be a group of amazingly talented and experienced people who were eager to talk about the projects and concepts they were working on. They genuinely wanted me to be as involved as possible and were quick to get me in on projects.

After going through the arduous process of setting up my laptop (there always seems to be something that goes wrong with computers!), I was all set to work. I was surprised by how rapidly I was thrown into the design process. My dad always warned me that creative internships at big companies were always more grunt work than actual design, but it only took a few days into work to prove him wrong. One of the first things I did as an intern was sit in on a brainstorming meeting where we geeked out over possible upcoming toy concepts and I was even given the chance to share my own ideas. It was really cool to be a part of the conversation and I was so honored that the team wanted to know what I thought.

Working remotely is nice because you don’t have to go through the hassle of commuting, but it can also feel isolating, especially on days that you don’t have a lot of meetings. Luckily, everyone on my team is super responsive. The interns/co-ops even have their own group chat, so it’s fun to hear and relate to what everyone else is going through.

Lots of cool things have happened since I first started. I’ve gotten to work on a variety of different projects and I even had the chance to visit the office in Rhode Island last week! My supervisor took me through the building and showed me some prototypes for upcoming products. Words cannot describe how incredibly talented everyone at Hasbro is and I am so excited for the months to come. I can already feel the time slipping by! For incoming interns, my advice (and something that I’m working on myself) is to not be afraid to be heard. Your fresh perspective is valuable, and others want to hear your opinions!

Veronica Chen

Yale University