Emma S., an NMU Graphic Design student, is spending her summer working as the Marketing & Promotions Assistant for the City of Marquette’s Office of Arts & Culture through a UPMW Worked Based Learning (WBL). Her position has given her real-world, hands-on experience with many professional marketing skills like taking photos, event activity planning, and designing and printing graphics for events. She was especially involved with the promotion and execution of the 2025 Marquette Art Week, a weeklong event featuring over 70 family-friendly art experiences including concerts, workshops, performances, exhibits, and more!

Emma says the WBL program has given her invaluable experiences: “It allowed me to apply my skills and major to real-world work experience; seeing my project transition from concept to reality has been incredibly encouraging and provided me valuable insight for future projects.” Tiina Morin, Office of Arts & Culture manager, is also enthusiastic about the benefits of the WBL program from the employer perspective. “This partnership allowed us to bring on a seasonal employee while providing valuable experience for a young professional in the arts, which is rare in Marquette.” Morin describes the ways in which Emma was able to engage with real-world projects that come with real-world deadlines and feedback. Emma adapted well to these challenges, took initiative, and noticeably improved in her design and illustration skills, all of which provided Emma with tangible, resume-building work. And even better, because of Emma’s excellent performance the City has decided to hire Emma on for the month of August following the conclusion of her WBL!  

“Emma’s placement with the City has been a clear success. It not only benefits Emma but also meets real staffing needs in public sector offices like ours,” said Morin. We’re so glad this match was a win for all parties—congratulations to Emma and to the Marquette Office of Arts & Culture!