It’s my senior year in college. Everything in my life seems to be screeching to a halt as the reality of entering the “real world” is closer than it’s ever been before. My only real responsibilities have been school, working part time (to make sure I can afford to keep my wardrobe updated) and keeping Saturday nights open for my friends…
My major is art & entrepreneurship at the University of Southern Maine. “What do you want to do with your degree once you graduate?” The infamous question every grandparent, great-aunt and acquaintance never fail in asking. Just as the words leap from their lips, I freeze because I am the only one who truly does not know the answer to that question. All I know right now is that I live in the moment and I like what I do. I have always been a procrastinator and apply that practice (quite well) when it comes to planning my future.
Then, one day this summer something happened. As I was taking a walk in downtown Freeport, I stumbled across a local company called Sea Bags. Their philosophy stands on using recyclable material and turning it into a useful and fashionable product. They accept old sails that have traveled around the world, and rather than wasting this versatile and durable material, they use it to create various products, primarily being tote bags. What a cool idea! I have always been creative, and love things that are “out of the ordinary”. Not only is this a green company, but it’s also local and entirely unique. The bag designs are fantastic and never fail to draw attention wherever they go.
In this last year of school I need an internship in order to graduate. I wondered if this company would take me on and show me how they make their business work? As an art and entrepreneurship major, this was exactly the blueprint for where I wanted to see myself in the future. It wasn’t until that moment, I realized what I wanted to do. It totally appealed to me because I have always been creative and “hands-on”, so I knew this would be the perfect opportunity. Growing up, I always experimented in making my own things at home, like t-shirts and handbags. Just as I was beginning to get frantic and wonder what direction my life was going to take, this company crossed my path and I finally felt hopeful.
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It’s been four months now since I’ve been an intern at Sea Bags, and I can honestly say I love every second of it. I had no real idea what my experience would be like, I just knew the company was one that stood for what I believed in, and would teach me everything I needed to know in order to prepare me for my future.
My week is filled with classes and my time is spent in the books working on various projects. I spend Mondays at the Sea Bags shop right in downtown Portland, training with a different department every week. I have learned so much since I’ve been here. A brief overview of what I’ve done includes: working with Carrie (the sail acquisition manager). She travels all over the country collecting sails for the company. I had the opportunity to travel with her one week and pick up a few sail donations. Mary Ann who kits the bags has shown me what she does by picking sail material, applying designs and appliqués to panels, measuring the position for the rope handles, etc. She sets the material up, in preparation for sewing. I’ve worked with Mike, who is the sail cutter. He starts with the whole sail and traces the layouts with a measured bag template and then cuts all the panels out. Lynn, who is the sales operation manager, has shown me the shipping process, filing, and all the odds and ends it really takes to run this business as far as communicating/ getting the bag to the customer. Amy, who is the retail sales manager, had been a great mentor to me. She has shown me how to keep track of inventory and how to run their second shop (located in Freeport). She has also shown me how to take orders for custom bags. I have also taken in sail donations and learned all about how to keep track of what goes in and out of a business (financially and materially). Beth, who is one of the owners of this company, has let me sit in on a private business meeting that focused on getting a business to buy our product and sell it in a new store that will soon be opening locally. Some more tasks I have done include rope cutting, grommeting, tagging, performing quality check, etc. And these are only a few of the things I have done.
Sea Bags has really done an outstanding job teaching me what it takes to run a business. I have finally gotten my taste of the real world. I have been granted an immense amount of trust and given loads if responsibilities that I proudly take on. I look forward to waking up in Monday mornings and heading into the shop. I learn something new every day and it is exactly the type if environment I see myself working in once school is behind me. I hope to someday be a full time employee here. The internship process has been the best academic college experience, and honestly was something I initially didn’t even want to do! I’m so glad I have, because without it, I wouldn’t be where I finally am today.
-Alaina Harris, Senior Undergrad of Art & Entrepreneurship
