It’s a windy late afternoon in New York City. Irene Artabe ’26 sits on a rooftop, surrounded by skyscrapers, hair blowing in the wind, reflecting on a whirlwind summer working at one of the most luxurious companies in the world – Tiffany & Co.
Not all students studying at a small college in the Midwest would consider applying to an internship at such a renowned company. But Artabe is an Ambrosian – she’s not afraid to take chances and knows that her education can take her anywhere. She didn’t hesitate when she saw the internship listing on LinkedIn last fall.
“I really wanted to come to New York and visit and live here, so I decided to give it a shot,” she recalls.
Though confident in her application to be a supply chain intern, the industrial engineering major was stunned when she discovered the numerous students she’d beaten out for the less than 100 available positions.
“Someone in one of our onboarding meetings asked how many people applied for internships across the company, and they told us it was 24,000 people,” Artabe says. “I’m sure they didn’t talk to all of those people, but I’ve never felt that special in my life.”
An internship in supply chain operations may not seem like the natural internship choice for an engineering major. But Artabe, who is minoring in graphic design, was excited to explore how her undergraduate degree could potentially translate to the jewelry industry.
“It’s not 100% related to my major,” Artabe reflects. “But I am really interested in jewelry. My hope would be to do something with jewelry design.”
She spent the summer exploring how to use AI to develop supply operations procedures, but most beneficial to her future was the breadth of networking opportunities available.
“They really care about networking a lot here and encourage you to talk to every department,” she says. “All the people I’m meeting, I tell them my interests and they give me guidance about what I could do. I learned about departments that focus more on the design and how I might apply engineering to jewelry.”
During her time at the company, her fellow interns were often shocked to learn that she was studying at a small private college in Iowa. But Artabe never felt inferior to her peers who are earning their degrees at larger institutions, like NYU.
"I know sometimes students from smaller schools feel like they might not be as good as those from bigger universities. But I’ve learned that’s not true. I was able to get an internship along with students from larger schools, which showed me I’m just as capable. That also makes me more grateful for the opportunity, and I’m proud and happy to bring the name of St. Ambrose to a big company like Tiffany."
The problem-solving and communication skills she gained as an SAU student helped her confidently navigate a big city and a large corporation.
“They value that a lot here,” she says, “that you communicate well, know how to address situations, and are considerate of their time.”
Though Artabe has enjoyed her summer in New York, she’s looking forward to returning to campus to begin her senior year. A member of the swim team and an international student ambassador, she has plenty to put on her resume when she graduates, including, now, her coveted internship with Tiffany.
“It's a company that is very recognizable, which I hope will make it way easier next year when I graduate to find a full-time job, because it's something that people know.”
Artabe knows her prospects are endless. Because anything is possible for an Ambrosian.
“Even though you’re from a small school, you can achieve great things too.”
