This summer, current Temple students and recent grads gained valuable career experience during internships at some of Philadelphia’s most prominent arts and media institutions.
Maria Lombana, a class of 2028 advertising major, was an editorial intern at the Philadelphia Museum of Art this summer.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
For some Klein College of Media and Communication students, learning doesn’t pause at the end of the spring semester. Students with their sights set on careers in media spent this summer completing internships at some of Philadelphia’s most treasured arts and media institutions, where they honed their skills and built professional connections.
Get to know two Owls who spent their summers gaining the experience necessary for careers on the page, over the air and above the fold.
Maria Lombana in the Great Stair Hall of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
Maria Lombana
School/college: Klein College of Media and Communication
Major/class year: Advertising, Class of 2028
Hometown: Querétaro, Mexico
Internship title: Editorial intern
Internship company: Philadelphia Museum of Art
“If you had told me at the start of my college career that my first internship would be at one of the biggest art museums in the country, I would have been like, what?” said Maria Lombana, a Class of 2028 advertising major from Querétaro, Mexico.
This summer, as the editorial intern in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s editorial and graphic design department, Lombana put her native Spanish language skills to use by editing Spanish-language materials as part of the museum’s efforts to become more language accessible. The experience has piqued her interest in museums.
“This internship has made me much more interested in what happens behind the scenes in a museum. After being here for the summer, I’ve only scratched the surface of everything that comes together to form an exhibition or to preserve a collection that’s this big. I can see museums in a different light, and how everyone’s roles come together to make it happen.”
During the school year, Lombana serves as advertising manager at The Temple News. She is also part of the Honors Program and credits its staff with helping her get the internship. Jackie Lopez, an advisor in the Honors program, wrote her a letter of recommendation, and Amanda Neuber, director of the Honors Program, gave her encouragement and support.
The internship gave her exposure to working in a major arts institution, but it also fostered the soft skills necessary for any successful career.
“I think this internship has helped me be more confident with talking with people, networking with people and being able to ask questions. Never let your expectations limit you. Being open to new opportunities and being curious has opened this door for me and has been such an amazing experience.”
Aidan Gallo is now employed by the Inquirer after spending the summer as their visuals intern.
Photo courtesy of Aidan Gallo
Aidan Gallo
School/college: Klein College of Media and Communication
Major/class year: Communication studies, 2026
Hometown: Upper Darby, Pa.
Internship title: Visuals intern
Internship company: The Philadelphia Inquirer
Aidan Gallo, KLN ’26, is a a part-time staff photographer at The Inquirer. The opportunity stemmed from his summer 2026 post-graduation internship at the newspaper, where he was treated as an employee and given real assignments.
“I got sent all over Philly and the suburbs, shooting two to three assignments a day. It definitely was a little hectic at points, but I got used to being really engaged in each assignment and trying to produce visuals that the photo desk was looking for,” said Gallo, who majored in communication studies at Klein.
For his capstone project during the internship, he spent two weeks photographing some of Philadelphia’s bike messengers as they traveled around the city, delivering medical samples and legal documents and hanging out together in Rittenhouse Square. The final project was published as a photo essay in The Inquirer.
“It was really exciting to immerse myself with this cyclist subculture and to get to know them, build trust with them and try to understand what life is like in their shoes,” said Gallo.
The Upper Darby native, who also worked as a photo editor at The Temple News during his time at Temple, is excited about the opportunity to document the city he calls home. “As a journalist, all the potential stories that are waiting to be told really intrigue me,” said Gallo.
As a recent graduate, he’s already aware of how Temple set him up for success as he embarks on his career.
“I think my time at Temple really set me up to fight for the work that I want to do. It’s the Temple spirit of “Perseverance Conquers.”