When the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum opens in late November, its success may lie on the shoulders of the students who interned last summer.

Catalina Jaramillo, a Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate, is part of the tight knit group of students involved with the museum.

Jaramillo remembers the day two years ago when Carol Damian, director at the Frost Museum, split her $3,000 paycheck with her.

She was a new mother and as Damian’s assistant, was given the task of digitizing a whole art history class Damian was teaching.

She willingly agreed and Damian thanked her generously with a part of the check.

“We’re like a big family, we even call ourselves the ‘Frosties,’” said Allison Garcia, an architecture student.

As dedicated as Damian has been to the “Frosties,” these students are now focused on designing and curating for opening day, which will be on Saturday Nov. 29.

They have done everything from drafting press releases, preparing guest lectures and marketing.

“I think [Damian’s] really great. If you go to other places you see interns running errands or getting coffee. She really wants you to get physically involved in the work you put in,” said Nicole Espaillot, a sophmore in art history.

Their most delicate work, however, has been the handling of 6,000 art pieces from the permanent Frost Art Museum collection, which for the first time will be housed in the new building.

Since the summer of 2008, all the art pieces have been securely nestled in the second floor of the museum.

“It’s the first time we don’t have to drive 30 miles to Artex in Davie to retrieve pieces,” said Jaramillo, who has helped in curating exhibitions.

Transporting thousands of dollars in century old art is not an easy task, especially making sure each piece is documented and accounted for.

“It is a lot like being pregnant,” Jaramillo said, “You are constantly worrying if an art piece is going to break, or something is going to happen.”

During opening week, there will be six shows available to the public in which students will be in charge of giving tours to faculty, staff and students.

Through the Ambassador Program offered by the Frost Museum, interested students will get the chance to learn first-hand how to give tours of the museum.

“We are designating an area in the museum, and we have to learn how to facilitate the understanding of each art piece,” said Ana Garcia, an art history student interning at the Frost Museum who hopes to be an art dealer some day.

The program offers a holistic approach to museum studies where interested students are trained to make connections between different art pieces. However, the program is open to students of any discipline or major.

During the opening week. the students will also be in charge of giving tours to faculty, staff, and students.

All in all, the “Frosties” look up to Damian, a woman whose dedication and hardwork helped make the new museum a reality.

“She [Damian] gets on a personal level with you. She really does want you to get the most out of this job,” Espaillot said.