Exploring art and design in Australia

After switching majors from mechanical engineering to product design, Kendal Burkins, '19, spent the summer exploring art and design as an intern at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, an opportunity offered through the Stanford Global Studies Internship Program. Last spring, mechanical engineering major Kendal Burkins, '19, began rethinking his academic and professional trajectory. Wanting to pursue a more creative path while merging his interests and skills, he switched his major to product design and applied for a summer internship at the Art Galley of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, the country's premier public museum. He hoped the opportunity - offered by the Stanford Global Studies Internship Program - would give him the experience and mentorship he needed to pursue a career in design. "I had never worked on a formal design team," said Burkins. "When I saw the opportunity to go to Australia and work in a design department in a cultural institution, I thought that would be a great way to get experience working with other designers, and getting feedback and experience outside of Stanford." When spring quarter ended, Burkins headed to Australia. The Art Gallery is located near the Sydney Opera house in the city's Botanical Gardens.