The Art of Opportunity
Through two paid internship programs, the office of Access & Engagement uses the arts as a catalyst for
developing creative career pathways for students
Simon Harrison ’17 was 8 years old when he discovered his passion for dance.
He credits his involvement with the office of Access & Engagement at UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts (UCI Arts) for broadening that passion into teaching the next generation of dancers.
During his senior year at UCI in 2016-17, Harrison completed a teaching artist internship through Creative Connections, a longstanding program of the office of Access & Engagement that pairs UCI Arts majors with arts instructors at local K-12 schools where they help teachers develop and implement curriculum.
Harrison recalls a standout dance student at Northwood High School. In a serendipitous occurrence six years later, the two ended up performing together for Re:borN Dance Interactive, a professional dance company.
“It was a real ‘small world’ moment for me,” said Harrison, a triple major in dance performance, choreography and education sciences.
In a full-circle moment, Harrison is now back at UCI Arts as a part-time employee at Access & Engagement, managing — you guessed it — Creative Connections.
Expansive Views
Harrison’s journey illustrates Access & Engagement’s mission to provide paid, hands-on experiences for students as teaching artists through Creative Connections and as arts management professionals through a second program, Arts Launch, that started two years ago.
Together, the programs — unique within the UC system — illustrate Access & Engagement’s role in fulfilling the school’s mission of using the arts as a catalyst for developing creative career pathways for students.
“It’s important for our students to have an expansive view of what they can do and be successful in the creative sector,” said Megan Belmonte, director of Access & Engagement. “Many of them come here with a very narrow view of what success looks like — for example, many performers think ‘it’s Broadway or nothing.’ But the reality is, these students can work in the creative sector of their choice in infinite ways.
“It’s important for our students to have an expansive view of what they can do and be successful in the creative sector.”
“For example, a drama major may end up finding their calling as a casting director, or a dance major may realize their true calling in teaching,” added Belmonte. “And while getting paid, they are also becoming exposed to a wonderful world of possibilities while they are still earning their undergraduate degrees.”
Typically, 15 to 20 students per school year serve as interns through Creative Connections, partnering with instructors up to three hours a week. They undergo training in the fall and teach in the winter and spring quarters.
Arts Launch began with five interns, and this year has seven. The interns undergo training in the summer and work fall through the end of the spring quarter.
Image: (left to right) Office of Access and Engagement team members Megan Belmonte, Simon Harrison and Kaysie José. Photo by Emily Zheng.
They can work up to 19.5 hours a week in such areas of the creative sector like marketing, accounting, finance and program development.
The programs are a win-win for both sides, Belmonte says, providing students not only with invaluable experience in the “real world” but also schools and arts organizations – many of which don’t enjoy robust funding — with employees.
In addition, a new partnership with the Orange County Department of Education provides Access & Engagement interns the opportunity to earn apprenticeship certifications from both the state and the federal government.
Showing Up
Hitesh Benny ’26, a fifth-year double major in music and business administration, had been frustrated by regulations within the immigration system that had forced him to walk away from many worthwhile experiences when he saw a flyer about an information session about Arts Launch.
Benny, assistant conductor of the UCI Symphony Orchestra and Opera, is now an education and community engagement intern with the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.
Learning under UCI alumna Katherine Yang ’03 and Jennifer Niedringhaus-Lopez, Benny has found an engaging and supportive environment.
“I’m excited to show up to work because I know I’m contributing to the industry I want to build a career in,” said Benny. “I look forward to serving as a leader in classical music, whether as a conductor or as an administrator.”
Other Arts Launch interns this year are matched with professionals at Arts Orange County, Chance Theater and the Muckenthaler Cultural Center, among other organizations.
Image: Department of Music student Michael Balerite ’26 conducting in a high school class through Creative Connections. Photo by Will Tee Yang.
Bridging Passions
Ysa Padua ’27, a third-year double major in music theater and psychological sciences, is serving in her second year as an Arts Launch intern. She’s a program coordinator who mentors first-year interns.
“I’m deeply enthusiastic about bridging my passions for advocacy and the arts,” said Padua, who during her first year at Arts Launch helped run several elementary school-level acting workshops, junior high musicals and band practices.
“I see my involvement in Arts Launch as an opportunity to give back to the artistic community of Orange County,” Padua says.
Kaysie José ’11 has worked for 10 years at UCI Arts with Belmonte and now manages Arts Launch.
“When I was an undergraduate drama major, I was not very involved in the School of the Arts and didn’t take advantage of professional development programs or internships,” said José.
Now José is passionate about expanding the professional development and career-readiness opportunities for UCI Arts undergraduates.
“We really want to have students realize that there are so many more opportunities to work in the arts beyond being a performer or artist,” said José. “I bring a lot of my personal experience of feeling somewhat lost in terms of what I wanted to do after I graduated.”
Creative Openings
Alexis Phuong Pham ’26 is a double major in art and education. She serves as a teaching artist intern at Creative Connections, engaging middle school students in digital art and design classes.
“I assist in developing and adapting curriculum to meet diverse skill levels and learning styles, ensuring that each student receives the support they need,” said Pham.
Image: (left to right) Megan Belmonte and Kaysie José with UCI Arts students participating in the Arts Launch Internship. Photo by Emily Zheng.
Pham also provides individualized feedback to enhance students’ creativity and technical abilities, while working closely with other teaching artists and program coordinators to organize workshops and outreach events that engage the community.
“This program has really opened my eyes to the possibilities that are available to me as an artist and educator,” said Pham.
Now joining the Creative Connections team, dance and education double major Mia Gabbey ’27 is blending her passions in the classroom at Irvine High School.
“I truly love working with kids, so this is just a win-win situation for me to do something I love and also get paid for it,” said Gabbey. “It’s a nice challenge for me to broaden my experience. The Creative Connections program is so helpful for me not only as an artist but as someone who’s about to go out into the world and look for a job.”
“This program has really opened my eyes to the possibilities that are available to me as an artist and educator.”
Belmonte says programs like Arts Launch and Creative Connections empower students to explore their evolving interests while gaining paid professional experience that shapes their futures.
“By combining hands-on learning with meaningful community partnerships,” she says, “these programs bridge education and professional practice, helping students build confidence, clarity and purpose as they become the next generation of artists, educators and professionals.”
To learn more about the office of Access & Engagement, visit arts.uci.edu/outreach.
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