Malka Katzav

October 17, 2014

A Multi-Faceted Approach

As with all my decisions in life, I go based on instinct, not reason. And this summer, when deciding what kind of internship I would do, I went as far out of my comfort zone as possible.  Instead of interning in a field that was close to my major and/or minor, I decided to dabble in my parents’ field of work; fashion. I interned for a small family-owned business based in New York City as the assistant to their Public Relations Consultant and Creative Director.  However, to my surprise, the most important skill that I possessed is my knowledge of foreign languages.  Due to the fact that I was able to communicate with all designers, producers, and manufacturers, I suddenly became an asset. With this tool, I was able to excel.  One of my career goals is to teach people the importance of speaking a foreign language and the necessity of this tool in every field.  This summer, I realized that human connection goes beyond words (ironically) and being multi-lingual allowed me to experience that.  Different languages and different disciplines are alike in that both provide a new lens or way of conceptualizing.  In this panel, you will see how each of us advocates for the improvement of human perception by embracing a multi-faceted approach to our experiences.