When Ella Pike learned about an internship at Pioneer Athletics in Cleveland, Ohio, she wasted no time applying. A graphic design major at Ohio Northern University, Ella seeks to “help people and companies tell their stories through visual language.” This internship seemed like an ideal match.
Pioneer Athletics is a national leader in athletic field solutions, providing natural and synthetic turf and field coatings, facility branding materials, and turf management products. The company works with clients from across the country, offering Ella the chance to be immersed in a fast-paced and creative environment.
“I knew I’d be working with professional graphic designers who would help me develop and further my skills in a corporate setting,” said Ella.
Bringing new ideas to the company has been a highlight of her summer experience, she says. “I designed a new cover for our company newsletter, created the Pioneer calendar for 2026, and submitted new concepts for company t-shirts.”
Especially exciting, she says, was helping to cut and package stencils for the Washington Wizards. She also redraws and vectorizes images, creates mock-ups, edits images, adjusts layouts, and brainstorms with the marketing team.
ONU’s Polar Career Center helped Ella land the internship by preparing her with a mock interview. A few days after her real interview, she received a phone call from Pioneer offering her the internship. “I was over the moon!” she said.
She’s grateful for Pioneer’s upbeat corporate culture and the mentorship of two experienced designers who, she says, have taken her under their wings and guided her from day one.
“I’ve learned a lot of tricks in the Adobe software to be more efficient in my work. I’ve improved my skills so much during my time at Pioneer, and I’m excited to bring my newly acquired skills back to campus this fall.”
