Communication Studies Student Interns at Segerstrom Center for the Arts with Support from CFA Alumna

When Carla Cruz '03 returned to Loyola Marymount University to speak on an alumni panel hosted by the Department of Communication Studies, she hoped to offer students practical advice about careers in communications. She also came with an opportunity: a competitive summer public relations internship at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, where she serves as senior director of communications.

Among the students in the audience was communication studies major Cathryn Giusto '26. Giusto took the advice alumni shared at the panel. After the event, she introduced herself to Cruz, connected with her on LinkedIn, and applied for the summer internship.

"Growing up in Orange County and being a devoted patron of the arts, I was already very familiar with the center, so knew I had to chase an opportunity to work there," says Giusto.

The position attracted significant interest. After advancing through a competitive screening process led by Segerstrom Center's education team, Giusto earned an interview with Cruz and ultimately secured the role.

At Segerstrom Center, Cruz oversees a wide-ranging communications portfolio that spans public relations, media relations, digital communications, VIP and red-carpet experiences, crisis communications, and storytelling that supports the center's mission and community engagement efforts.

Cruz said Cathryn stood out from a very talented pool of candidates, noting her professionalism, her writing experience with "The Loyolan," her eagerness to continue learning about public relations and communications, and the depth of knowledge she brought from her classes and professors.

"Once I was offered the position and finally made it to the office, I hit the ground running," says Giusto. She notes her biggest accomplishment was curating a press campaign that she presented to the sales team; it was met with positive feedback from several team members. "I took every opportunity to take initiative and build my skills."

Cruz agrees: "Cathryn has done some fun stuff this summer including behind the scenes photoshoot for a magazine cover for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, learning to write press releases, experiencing live shows, writing post event press releases, and pitching to press as well as developing social media content for TikTok and Instagram. I feel she has developed tangible skills and has plenty of content and work projects to add to her portfolio."

For Cruz, mentoring the next generation of communicators is a natural extension of the support she received as an LMU student. As a first-year, she attended an LMU networking mixer that led to a pivotal introduction and her first professional opportunity. That experience helped launch her career and reinforced the value of building meaningful professional relationships. Her connection with Giusto reflects the power of the LMU network, where alumni transform their own experiences into opportunities for future Lions.

"I am immensely grateful for this opportunity as it has not only expanded my experience and understanding of marketing and comms in the arts, but it allowed me to use my LMU background to help move my career forward," says Giusto.