The down side of offering internships is that by the end of one, we sometimes have to say goodbye to some pretty awesome people. Meet Lean, who just rounded up her internship at our Dutch office and who we foresee having the brightest future.

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Hi! My name is Lean, I’m 21 years old and currently live in 's-Hertogenbosch. I’m in the fourth year of my study VPRM(Product design, space & media) student at SiNTLUCAS in Boxtel. During my studies I specialized in interior, stand, and decor design.

In my third year, I completed an internship at an architectural company in Bangkok, Thailand. There I learned a lot about the Asian corporate world, which is a little different than the Dutch.I also gained knowledge about the latest trends in architecture and interior design and had the opportunity to assist in major projects in Southeast Asia.

After three years of interior design, I wanted to try something different. I got an assignment at school to design for Jungle Festival in Eindhoven. I noticed that this type of work gave me lots of energy and my interest for the event industry was awakened. The work was inspirational, I was able to put all of my creativity in it. I really enjoy going to music festivals and I have always been very curious about what it takes to bring a festival to life.

What project was the most fun for you?

In total, I was allowed to participate in over sixteen projects during the internship. My work at SQuare was very diverse: from designing an exhibition stand and the other day I was busy designing a festival stage. The variety in my internship really appealed to me and that is why I actually liked every project. But what I ultimately liked the most is my graduation assignment where I could independently design a stage. How cool!
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What did you want to become as a child?

‍‍As a child, I always wanted to do something creative. My mother's best friend is an artist and I often went to her atelier to make drawings and paint. This always made me very calm. A visit to Ikea was the best trip of the year because of all the interior set ups, which every time inspired me to re-organize my room over and over again. I could flip through interior books or magazines for hours and always said that I wanted to become the director of a magazine in New York (inspired by MTV series ‘The Hills’). Oh, and becoming a dolphin trainer was also an option, hahaha. So many dreams…
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What do you hate the most?

Bullying. I think you should accept everyone as they are. I hate when people have an opinion about someone they don't know.
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What makes you happy?

Traveling makes me very happy. I get a lot of inspiration from it and I think other cultures are super interesting. I've seen a lot in Asia and my dream is to go backpacking in South America for a few months in the future.
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Who is your biggest example?

My mom. She really taught me togo after my dreams and do something that I really like. Her dream was to have her own coffee shop and she quit her job where she had been for 30 years and started her own business. After that, she passed away, about 1.5 years ago. I see her as an example because she pursued her dream and nothing could get in her way. Never waste your time and energy on people or things you don't like.
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‍Is there a ritual you believe in?

I believe in: "Where there is a will, there is a way.‘’ If you put in a 100 % and work very hard, you always get there. There is always something on your path that’s a fit.
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What are you proud of that not everyone knows of?

Hmmm, I think that’s a difficult question. There are many things that I am proud of. For example, I volunteered in Uganda and I went to Bangkok for six months on my own, but those aren’t secrets. Because I am actually a fairly open person. Everyone always knows everything about me.
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What are your plans for after graduation?

I am still thinking about what I would like to do after my studies. At this moment I am pretty sure that I’m not going to do a follow up study. I feel pulled to put the creativity and knowledge I gained the past four year, in practice. I want to add value to a team and be executing. At school, you work on fictional assignments which are not really satisfying to me. So, I’ll be looking for a new challenge and I am very curious to find out what will cross my path!
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How do you look back at your time at SQuare?

SQuare has given me many opportunities to develop myself when it comes to stage design. I get so much energy from working on a design for a festival. That fact I have been able to learn so many things makes me grateful. The pace and level are quite high if compared to school. Especially in the technical aspects. But SQuare gave me plenty of freedom to learn. The team looks critically at your design and provides good, constructive feedback.

The team consists of young creative people, which made me feel at home. Everyone is interested in each other and there is a very informal working atmosphere. It didn't even feel like an internship to me, I went to work with pleasure every day because I was able to design such cool things. If you have the chance, I recommend everyone to intern at SQuare! I'm going to miss everyone for sure!

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‍Are you interested in an internship at SQuare as well and you think you fit the bill? Don't hesitate and tell us your story by contacting us!