Lauren Harland - Senior
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Greenhouse Studios – UConn Library
How did you find your position? What was the process like from application to the offer stage? Please detail your experience.
During my freshman year, I took an Exploring Digital Art course with Tom Lee as my instructor. Tom is a Technology Strategist at Greenhouse Studios and reached out to me at the end of the semester about an open student position there. After meeting with him and two other Greenhouse Studios employees, I officially joined the Greenhouse Studios team during the summer of 2021!
What made you apply for your position?
I was really excited about the opportunity to gain job experience, put my design skills to work, and to meet the people who work at Greenhouse Studios. The team members come from many different backgrounds and areas of study, so I knew I would be able to put my Digital Media & Design coursework to the test while also picking up lots of new skills and collaborating on multi-disciplinary projects.
How have you been able to balance your schoolwork and work responsibilities? Please provide details of any challenges or hurdles you have encountered.
Having had at least one on-campus job since joining Greenhouse Studios, learning to balance schoolwork and work responsibilities has been an on-going process. The key for me has been to seek out jobs and opportunities that align with my major and develop skills that will enhance my coursework. I get to use the knowledge I learn at Greenhouse Studios to help me with my coursework and vice versa.
What are your personal keys to success and what aspects of your job do you find the most fulfilling or enjoyable?
The aspect of my job that I find most fulfilling is being able to collaborate with professors, students, and employees from so many different schools and departments within UConn. Being able to find ways to combine various areas of expertise to develop digital humanities projects always makes me so excited to see the outcome of our work. For example, I collaborated with people from the Department of History, NACP, and Greenhouse Studios to create the Land Grab CT website. In order to set myself up for success throughout these projects, I’ve learned to always be open to learning new things and putting myself in situations that are out of my comfort zone. I’ve found that this is the best way to develop my skills and get the most out of my experiences.
Describe your typical day at work?
At Greenhouse Studios, student employees are given tasks to work on various projects and also given autonomy to pursue their individual interests relating to Greenhouse Studios projects. A typical day for me might include working with other student employees to develop a social media schedule for Sourcery, a web app providing remote access to archival documents, creating content for Greenhouse Studios social media pages, and developing a brand/social media guide for future Greenhouse Studios employees. If I’m interested in learning a new skill, I’m encouraged to explore and develop it in the context of a Greenhouse Studios project. For example, I recently wanted to learn photography, so I pitched the idea of bringing my camera to an exhibit opening and all-hands meeting that were happening at Greenhouse Studios. My supervisor, Brooke Foti Gemmell thoroughly supported the idea. It was a great experience and I’ll use the photos I took for future Greenhouse Studios social media content.
What skills have you acquired or developed in your on-campus job that can contribute to your career readiness or professional development?
The most important skills that I’ve developed during my time at Greenhouse Studios are leadership and collaboration. I joined the Greenhouse Studios team immediately after my freshman year and was quite shy and hesitant to speak up in meetings or to pitch new ideas. Through the support of my mentors and the collaborative environment at Greenhouse Studios, I’ve been given many opportunities to develop these skills by presenting work to other team members, participating in workshops, and leaning on my strengths to further the development of Greenhouse Studios projects. Now, in my third year with Greenhouse Studios, I comfortably lead social media and brand strategy meetings during which I discuss team goals and accomplishments, delegate tasks, provide design feedback, and problem solve. I know the skills I’ve developed at Greenhouse Studios will help me in my career by teaching me how to be an effective collaborator and leader.
