Summer with The Reading Royals
Posted by: Mellany Artmstrong
It’s a good thing that Kayla Koehler ’18 likes hockey. The Graphic Design major interned for the Reading Royals hockey team this summer.
Season ticket holders will be clutching her tiny masterpieces in their hands at each game. Koehler designed the tickets in this season’s ticket book, as well as the team’s 2017-2018 season pocket calendar.
“Most of my work is being used and utilized for the team,” she said. “And I’m seeing it get out there, and that’s really exciting for me.”
The rising senior attended the Delaware College of Art and Design in Wilmington for two years and then came to Moore.
“I transferred to Moore because after getting my associate’s degree I was looking to further my education at another small school,” she said. “Finding an all-girls school that empowered women was also wonderful. Moore was in the city where I would have access to resources I wouldn’t have anywhere else – studios, galleries and filled with existing artists.”
Koehler worked last summer and earned money working as a resident assistant at Moore to be able to afford to take this summer off for her internship.
The graphic design work she’s doing is quite different than what she’s used to.
“I wanted the opportunity to do something that’s out of my comfort zone, because I’m a very fruity kind of designer,” she said. “A lot of my stuff is very feminine, very lighthearted, and coming into sports has an intense kind of feel, and that’s an exciting change for me.”
Being restricted in her design work is new, too.
“With the kind of lessons we’ve been having at school, we’ve had a lot of flexibility,” she said. “Here, it’s very, ‘Here’s our color scheme, here’s our assets, here’s what we can do with them.’ Working within those constraints is an interesting new challenge for me.”
Koehler designed the Royal’s web page background, featuring two players wearing the team colors, purple, black and silver. The Royals are an ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team.
“I’m doing a lot of stuff for social media posts,” she said. “You know, coming up on the holidays, Father’s Day, that kind of thing. Announcing players that are signing on to us.”
“She’s been a lot of help,” said Calvin Spohn, director of creative services for the Royals, and Koehler’s supervisor. “With her being the only person who knows how to use any type of editing software, it’s a lot of work, so anything I’ve been able to give her assignment-wise, she’s been able to do.”
Unfortunately, because it was a summer internship, Koehler never saw any players on the ice at the Santander Arena.
“Kayla did a great job,” said Gregg Lewis, merchandise and marketing director. “The hard part for her this summer was that this was the off season. Imagine what we could teach the students in the fall or spring when we host our games.”
Koehler said an internship is a perfect way to be introduced to the working world, especially if someone has doubts about what she wants to do.
“It’s a lot different than school, and some people thrive better in a work environment,” she said.
Koehler admits she’s not a very athletic person, and she hasn’t yet been to a Royals game.
“Look at me, I’m thin and frail, and I’ve never really played any sports,” she laughed. “I know enough about hockey. I am a fan of the Flyers and the Hershey Bears. It’s the only sport that I actually watch fairly regularly.”