About the Staff About the COFA Career Services Staff We are so excited to help you shape your career journey in the arts. Read more below about who we are and how we can help you. SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH US Note: The link above will take you to your 12twenty@Texas account. Just click on “Appointments” in the left-hand menu. From there, you’ll see a list of all available appointment time slots that you can book. Sydney Westin Senior Career Services Coordinator sydney.westin@austin.utexas.edu Sydney Westin (she/her/hers) is an artist and educator. She comes from a background working in museum and gallery education. Most recently, she worked as the Senior Education Manager at the Beeville Art Museum, where she designed and implemented museum curriculum for local school districts. Sydney received her BFA in Studio Art and Art History from West Texas A&M University. While there, she worked as an educator for the Amarillo Museum of Art. She also had the opportunity to attend a study abroad program in London, which later led her to attending University College London, where she received her MA in Art and Design in Education. In her spare time, Sydney enjoys painting, reading, and exploring. Sydney serves all COFA students but especially loves working with: Visual arts students Students who need help with artist’s statements, cover letters, and other professional writing Students interested in traveling or studying abroad Favorite place to hang out on campus: Having a stroll around the VAC to check out the current exhibitions. Childhood dream job: I wanted to be a veterinarian until allergies foiled my plans! Most interesting job/internship in college: My internship with the Amarillo Museum of Art in their education department. It solidified my love of museums and expanded my ideas of what it could mean to be an artist and teacher. Career tip for COFA students: Don’t let the big picture overwhelm you. It is easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to make decisions and plan for a career, so instead break down your big picture goals into more manageable pieces, whether that’s sending an email you’ve been putting off, taking photos for your portfolio, setting up 30 minutes to research an internship, or maybe even scheduling a meeting with career services. The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time! Maya Halabi Career Services Coordinator maya.halabi@austin.utexas.edu Maya Halabi (they/she) is a multi-hyphenated creative, events producer, and career coach with experience across higher ed, nonprofit production, public relations, and editorial strategy. Most recently, she worked as an Industry Relations Coordinator for UT’s School of Design and Creative Technologies, where she produced professional development programming and events, strengthened the school’s employer-partner relations, and provided career coaching to the students. Outside of work, Maya is a DIY events producer, musician, dancer, and passionate vintage and antique collector. You can often find them DJ-ing Arabic records around Austin, too. Maya serves all COFA students but especially loves working with: Digital & visual arts students (AET & Design) Students who need help organizing their job or internship search Students who need professional materials reviewed or created, such as resumes and portfolios Students who want to become stronger at networking and building their confidence! Favorite place to hang out on campus: Listening to music and enjoying a quiet lunch outside in the Bass Concert Hall courtyard Childhood dream job: A singer or actress, and I’m still dreaming about it :) Most interesting job/internship in college: My time as Editor-in-Chief of Spark Magazine. I learned how to merge my many creative passions with the organized, business side of my brain. Also, I realized how much I love writing, editing, and community building. Career tip for COFA students: Get organized! Oftentimes, we get overwhelmed by all the different information we’re fed about jobs, internships—what we should and could be doing to land an ideal role. Creating a plan for either your internship or job search, or even starting a portfolio, allows your brain to process things one at a time and better understand your priorities. There are tons of career resources at UT and within COFA, including the coaching team here, to help you figure it all out, too.
