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 summer interns, Ashley Gelato, who works in our Education and Outreach department.

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

Quick Facts

Name: Ashely Gelato
School: University of Houston
Internship Duration: Summer 2022
Favorite project you’ve worked on during your internship: Writing content for Asia Society Texas' online education portal.
Most interesting thing you’ve learned during your internship: How to interact with various stakeholders one to one and to time manage between meetings and deadlines

Reflection

My interest in interning at Asia Society stems from my prior experience with digital humanities during my undergraduate program. My love for story-writing developed through being the Head Storywriter of the game Ako: A Test of Loyalty under the Epoch: History Games Initiative at the University of Texas at Austin. Being able to transfer this skill into the creation and editing of content for Asia Society Texas' online education portal has been such an exciting experience, as has been meeting with our various artists and designers. I’m a huge proponent of the inclusion of digital media in education and the benefits of interaction and acquisition of knowledge versus rote memorization in the traditional format. I have found that by working in a subject that we specialize in, notably Asia, we can share more accurate and consistent material that will assist our local educators, students, and community, building those bridges of understanding we aim for through our work.

As I continue to work in digital media and digital humanities, my love for both grows infinitely. I hope I can continue to advocate for their use in schools and exhibitions and work towards developing and supervising materials such as this long term. Because of my passion for peaceful global connection and multicultural celebration, I also hope one day I will be able to enter the diplomacy field as a Researcher or Diplomat. However, working as a Content Writer and Research Specialist has been extremely rewarding and engaging and I am satisfied to continue in cultural and historical design and consultation that incorporates these diplomatic elements.

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.