Asia Society Texas works with high school and university interns each semester through our Regions Bank Young Leaders Internship program. Under this program, we have partnered with various high schools and universities in the Greater Houston area to provide opportunities for students to engage with the broad swath of programs offered by Asia Society and learn more about nonprofit operations. Interns have worked in program development, research and curriculum-writing, outreach efforts, accounting and finance, and more. Through their time with Asia Society Texas, interns learn more about Asian art, history, and culture while gaining direct experience in a professional environment.

We'd like to shine a spotlight on one of our university interns Sarah Altman, who works with our Accounting and HR department.

Learn a little more about Sarah and her internship experience below!

Quick Facts

Name: Sarah Altman
School: University of Houston
Internship Duration: Spring 2022
Favorite project you’ve worked on during your internship: Budget Documents
Most interesting thing you’ve learned during your internship: All about Asia

Reflection

I had an interest in becoming an intern at Asia Society because the position matched my unique background in Accounting and Human Resources. There aren’t a lot of opportunities out there that combine the two of them.

Working at Asia Society allowed me to develop my professional soft skills and fueled my growth as a young professional. Throughout my internship, I have learned how to complete check runs and various payroll functions. In the future, I would like to become a payroll coordinator.

My time at Asia Society has allowed me to develop stronger communication skills, during which I learned that persistency is key. I am grateful to have learned so much about Asian culture, which is much broader than I previously assumed. My favorite memory was working the Lunar New Year event and selling mochi. Not only was I learning a new cash flow system, I also got to visit with all sorts of people there to enjoy the event. Asia Society has taught me more than I could have ever imagined. It was the perfect mixture of HR and Accounting, which undoubtedly keeps things interesting.

Business and Policy programs are endowed by Huffington Foundation. We give special thanks to Bank of America, Muffet Blake, Anne and Albert Chao, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Nancy Pollok Guinee, and United Airlines, Presenting Sponsors of Business and Policy programs; Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, and Leslie and Brad Bucher, Presenting Sponsors of Exhibitions; AARP, Sterling Turner Foundation, and Wells Fargo, Presenting Sponsors of Education & Outreach; Syamal and Susmita Poddar, Presenting Sponsors of Performing Arts & Culture; Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Sponsor of the Japan Series; and Regions Bank, Title Sponsor for the internship program. General support of programs and exhibitions is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc., Houston Endowment, Inc., the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, McKinsey & Company, Inc., National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, and Vinson & Elkins LLP, as well as Friends of Asia Society.

Title Sponsor for Internship Program

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.