By Abbi Gabli, intern, GM News
Emma Mikalauskas’ path to becoming a lead designer at General Motors wasn’t linear, but it was entirely her own. Today, she helps shape the look and feel of Chevrolet performance vehicles, including the iconic Corvette. Her journey into automotive design began with a GM internship that changed everything.
The internship experience
During her master’s program at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit in 2017, Mikalauskas took part in a portfolio review event that brought local employers to the school. It was an opportunity to explore where her creative skills could take her — and one company stood out.
“I always had automotive design in the back of my mind,” Mikalauskas says. “Connecting with GM and others in the industry was really exciting.”
After meeting GM designers and going through the interview process, Mikalauskas was offered an internship.
At the time, GM had all the design interns collaborate on a summer project. But Mikalauskas’ experience was different. As an exterior color design intern, she was placed directly within the design team, sitting alongside full-time designers. That made all the difference, she says.
“The team said, ‘No, you’re going to sit with us,’" Mikalauskas recalls. “They saw me as an asset and genuinely wanted me to learn the process.”
To Mikalauskas, this was a true representation of the work: immersive, hands-on, and collaborative. Her role in exterior color design also stretched her creatively. Coming from a background in fashion, focused on materials and textiles, color design required her to develop a new mindset.
“Fashion was more physical; materials and sewing,” she says. “Color was different. It pushed my boundaries.”
From fashion to the fast lane
Originally from the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, Michigan, Mikalauskas was introduced to the automotive world early on through her father, an automotive engineer. As a child, she loved attending auto shows and collecting color swatches and pamphlets. She was captivated by both automotive interiors and exteriors.
After high school, Mikalauskas pursued her undergraduate degree in fashion design and merchandising from Wayne State University in Detroit. An internship with a fashion designer in New York changed her career outlook completely. While the experience was exciting, it made Mikalauskas reflect on what she truly wanted: something closer to home, more balanced, and still creatively fulfilling.
She didn’t realize automotive design was even a path for someone with her background. But upon returning to Michigan, Mikalauskas found an opportunity with an automotive supplier to work on vehicle seating and pattern making.
It was her first real experience applying her fashion skills to the automotive world — and it clicked.
“Automotive is just a different set of materials, a different aesthetic, a different application, but very much falls in line with everything I know,” she says. “Sewing a silk dress for the runways is very different than an entire car interior, but you’re still applying the same fundamental skills.”
After her internship, CCS and GM arranged a flexible schedule to allow Mikalauskas to work part-time while completing her studies. After graduating with a master’s degree in color and materials design, she took on a full-time role at GM, starting as a creative designer for GMC.
Designing performance
Today, Mikalauskas leads color and material design for Chevrolet performance vehicles; a role that blends her background in fashion with her love for cars.
“There’s a lot of trend research, understanding customer psychology, and collaborating across teams,” she explains. “And working on a vehicle like the Corvette is exciting.”
The challenge is creating something that excites drivers and connects with the vehicle’s identity. Her personal passion for motorsports adds to the energy she brings to work, where she is excited to continue pushing creative boundaries. And it all started with her internship.
Giving back
Mikalauskas is passionate about being the kind of mentor she wishes she had when she was applying to schools early on. Having once been an intern herself, she understands firsthand the kind of guidance, encouragement, and practical advice that can make a difference.
Now, as her department is about to send their summer interns back to school, Mikalauskas takes the opportunity to share insights and walk them through the parts of the job that aren’t always obvious.
She also volunteers her time with the GM Design educational outreach and development program, Young Modelers and Designers (YMAD). YMAD introduces students across middle school, high school and college to the opportunities for creatives in the world of automotive design.
Her advice for current and future interns?
“Talk to as many people as possible.”
“Stepping up” highlights former interns who’ve taken on full-time roles, offering a glimpse into how careers can evolve over time at GM.
Learn more about careers at GM by visiting careers.gm.com.
Emma Mikalauskas’ path to becoming a lead designer at General Motors wasn’t linear, but it was entirely her own. Today, she helps shape the look and feel of Chevrolet performance vehicles, including the iconic Corvette. Her journey into automotive design began with a GM internship that changed everything.
The internship experience
During her master’s program at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit in 2017, Mikalauskas took part in a portfolio review event that brought local employers to the school. It was an opportunity to explore where her creative skills could take her — and one company stood out.
“I always had automotive design in the back of my mind,” Mikalauskas says. “Connecting with GM and others in the industry was really exciting.”
After meeting GM designers and going through the interview process, Mikalauskas was offered an internship.
At the time, GM had all the design interns collaborate on a summer project. But Mikalauskas’ experience was different. As an exterior color design intern, she was placed directly within the design team, sitting alongside full-time designers. That made all the difference, she says.
“The team said, ‘No, you’re going to sit with us,’" Mikalauskas recalls. “They saw me as an asset and genuinely wanted me to learn the process.”
To Mikalauskas, this was a true representation of the work: immersive, hands-on, and collaborative. Her role in exterior color design also stretched her creatively. Coming from a background in fashion, focused on materials and textiles, color design required her to develop a new mindset.
“Fashion was more physical; materials and sewing,” she says. “Color was different. It pushed my boundaries.”
From fashion to the fast lane
Originally from the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, Michigan, Mikalauskas was introduced to the automotive world early on through her father, an automotive engineer. As a child, she loved attending auto shows and collecting color swatches and pamphlets. She was captivated by both automotive interiors and exteriors.
After high school, Mikalauskas pursued her undergraduate degree in fashion design and merchandising from Wayne State University in Detroit. An internship with a fashion designer in New York changed her career outlook completely. While the experience was exciting, it made Mikalauskas reflect on what she truly wanted: something closer to home, more balanced, and still creatively fulfilling.
She didn’t realize automotive design was even a path for someone with her background. But upon returning to Michigan, Mikalauskas found an opportunity with an automotive supplier to work on vehicle seating and pattern making.
It was her first real experience applying her fashion skills to the automotive world — and it clicked.
“Automotive is just a different set of materials, a different aesthetic, a different application, but very much falls in line with everything I know,” she says. “Sewing a silk dress for the runways is very different than an entire car interior, but you’re still applying the same fundamental skills.”
After her internship, CCS and GM arranged a flexible schedule to allow Mikalauskas to work part-time while completing her studies. After graduating with a master’s degree in color and materials design, she took on a full-time role at GM, starting as a creative designer for GMC.
Designing performance
Today, Mikalauskas leads color and material design for Chevrolet performance vehicles; a role that blends her background in fashion with her love for cars.
“There’s a lot of trend research, understanding customer psychology, and collaborating across teams,” she explains. “And working on a vehicle like the Corvette is exciting.”
The challenge is creating something that excites drivers and connects with the vehicle’s identity. Her personal passion for motorsports adds to the energy she brings to work, where she is excited to continue pushing creative boundaries. And it all started with her internship.
Giving back
Mikalauskas is passionate about being the kind of mentor she wishes she had when she was applying to schools early on. Having once been an intern herself, she understands firsthand the kind of guidance, encouragement, and practical advice that can make a difference.
Now, as her department is about to send their summer interns back to school, Mikalauskas takes the opportunity to share insights and walk them through the parts of the job that aren’t always obvious.
She also volunteers her time with the GM Design educational outreach and development program, Young Modelers and Designers (YMAD). YMAD introduces students across middle school, high school and college to the opportunities for creatives in the world of automotive design.
Her advice for current and future interns?
“Talk to as many people as possible.”
“Stepping up” highlights former interns who’ve taken on full-time roles, offering a glimpse into how careers can evolve over time at GM.
Learn more about careers at GM by visiting careers.gm.com.