Graphic Design Student Lands Career-Launching Role at L’Oréal
Graphic design student Angie Belloso will join L’Oréal’s Management Trainee program in 2026.Classroom Experience Opened Industry Doors
Graphic Design major Angie Belloso never expected a five-week elective to change the course of her career. But the Columbia class that introduced her to the L’Oréal Brandstorm competition eventually led to a summer internship with the company—and now a full-time offer in L’Oréal’s Management Trainee program, beginning September 2026.
Belloso first encountered the global beauty brand through Columbia’s interdisciplinary “Workshop in Fashion: L’Oréal Brandstorm,” a fast-paced course designed to mirror the timing and expectations of industry. With guidance from faculty mentors Dana Connell and Reyes Witt, she quickly learned to ideate, collaborate, present, and revise in a high-pressure environment. Those skills positioned her well for the competitive internship that followed, where she spent the summer working across marketing, hair care and color, and product development.
During the internship, Belloso immersed herself in the day-to-day rhythm of L’Oréal, the world’s number one beauty company with a $47B valuation. She researched briefs, updated reports, tracked SKUs, and reached out across departments—from senior chemists and claims directors to stylists and marketing leaders—to build a deeper understanding of how products move from concept to market. She even attended a photoshoot for an upcoming launch. “Every day was very busy,” she says. “I learned to ask insightful questions, take note of everything, send emails in a timely manner, and bring people into your projects—because collaboration is everything at L’Oréal.”
Building a Career at the World's Top Beauty Brand
Her performance throughout the 11-week internship culminated in a final presentation and ongoing check-ins with her manager and the human resources department, all designed to ensure she was progressing toward the expectations of the role. Meeting those benchmarks helped secure her full-time offer. “I’m excited about everything,” she says. “What stands out most about the MT program is the flexibility to pivot within the company. It’s designed not only to prepare me for leadership but also to help me build a versatile skill set at an accelerated pace—which is incredibly valuable as a recent graduate entering the workforce. The program is rotational, so I’ll work on different brands and move between fragrance, luxury, beauty, skincare, and tech. I’m also looking forward to moving to NYC!”
Belloso traces the roots of this opportunity to moments throughout her Columbia journey: joining the student-run modeling organization Picture Perfect to build confidence and community; participating in the Arc’teryx circulatory upcycle design challenge; and taking Marketing and Branding Yourself, a course that sharpened her approach to interviews and helped her articulate her strengths. “Doing things that scare me the most, despite a fear of failing, has led to my biggest strengths and successes,” she says. “Every moment, even when I felt confused or lost, led to where I am today.”
Belloso’s advice for future creatives hoping to work with global brands: “Take advantage of every class and every opportunity at Columbia. Explore your curiosity, experiment with classes, and collaborate with your peers. As creatives, we bring a unique perspective—even in roles that aren’t traditionally creative. That is your superpower. Show up as your authentic self, apply to everything, and always advocate for yourself.”