Natalie Manwaring

By Zoë Eitel
When Natalie Manwaring’s internship as a 3D Game Artist at Fluid Content was put on an unexpected hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was luckily also working as a 3D CGI Intern at another company: PETAL et. Al.
Since the internship at PETAL was already remote, there wasn’t much of a transition when many other companies had to make the switch. For PETAL, Natalie creates 3D assets, textures, renders and effects for a pilot project and remotely attends weekly meetings to show work and discuss plans.
A unique part of working remotely is that the group is composed of people from across the country whom I would likely never have gotten to work with otherwise,” Natalie says.

3D CGI Intern at PETAL et. Al

BA Animation 2021

A friend who had previously interned for the company recommended it to Natalie and was contacted for an interview shortly after applying. She feels fortunate that she found this internship and looks forward to where it will lead her in the future.

“I feel fortunate that I found this internship and look forward to where it will take me in the future.”

From this internship, Natalie has learned a bit about what will draw her to a company or organization in the future.
“A few things that I’ll be looking for in a job going forward in my career are a good working environment, mentorship, and challenge,” she says. “One of my favorite things about PETAL is the community environment wherein members can help each other learn and grow as well as provide good feedback.”
Because her internship at PETAL is unpaid, Natalie applied for and received the Internship Plus award to supplement her finances.
“Receiving the award took a big weight off of my shoulders and I would certainly recommend others to apply,” Natalie says.
Her internship at PETAL has supplemented her education by giving her hands-on experience that isn’t as easy to get in a classroom.
“This internship has given me a really good opportunity to test my skills and expand upon them,” she says. “Through doing the various tasks assigned to me, I was able to learn a lot that I may not have otherwise.”
Natalie is excited to reach her next goal of finding a job after graduation and is already in contact with a recruiter who has a possible position for her. If that doesn’t work out, she’s going to continue seeking out opportunities that allow her to pursue being a CGI artist.