Julie Song is a rising junior double majoring in graphic design and advertising and public relations. This summer, she is working for the National APIDA Panhellenic Association (NAPA) as a UI/UX developer intern.
NAPA is an association of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) fraternities and sororities dedicated to advocacy, cooperation, and scholarship. UNL is home to three NAPA member organizations, including Julie’s sorority, Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc.
Julie has held various positions in this organization, including academics chair, historian, website coordinator, performance director’s assistant, national philanthropy chair and recruitment co-chair. It was her sorority’s vice president who encouraged her to apply for the NAPA internship to gain valuable experience in design while supporting the association.
“This internship stood out to me because I wanted to gain real-world experience in the field,” Julie said. “The UI/UX field is pretty competitive and saturated, so I wanted to build my portfolio and myself professionally as much as I could before graduation to stand out as a future applicant.”
Her internship began in March 2025 and will conclude in early September. In this role, Julie's responsibilities include researching user needs, developing webpage mockups using Figma and Adobe XD, designing cohesive style guides and conducting usability tests to refine her designs.
“I will meet with a mentor and my team weekly to present my progress and gain valuable feedback,” said Julie. “I also attend monthly NAPA meetings to be updated about operations and take notes on elements I could incorporate into my projects.”
Julie is excelling in her role and enjoys combining her technical skills with her passion for art.
“My favorite part is working with websites and gaining more experience in coding HTML and CSS. I like the technical side of coding, and I also get to utilize my creativity for visual design,” Julie said. “I have been artistic for most of my life, and I enjoy working with technology, which is why the UI/UX design path appealed to me as a career choice.”
This fall, Julie will continue her leadership journey as vice president of records and fundraising co-chair for Delta Phi Lambda, as well as vice president of UNL’s Asian Student Union. Looking further ahead, Julie already has big ambitions for her future.
“I aspire to work in UI/UX design full time for a well-established company based in a larger city. Alongside that, I also hope to pursue freelance work and manage a small business as a digital artist, which I did in high school and wish to continue after graduation,” said Julie. “Even if life takes me on a different road, I hope to continue expressing my creativity and maintain my love for design.”
Get connected with career-building opportunities like Julie’s at careers.unl.edu!
