Intern Spotlight: Amani Turner
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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 interns, Amani Turner, who worked behind the scenes at our Young Leaders Institute program!
Learn a little more about Amani and her internship experience below!
Quick Facts
Name: Amani Turner
School: Rising Junior, The University of Texas, Austin
Date of Internship: Summer 2024
Favorite project you’ve worked on during your internship: Working on the interactive games for camp, like the blindfolded puzzle game and Asia Society Texas scavenger hunt. It was very rewarding to see the students have fun while developing teamwork skills.
Most interesting thing you’ve learned during your internship: How a nonprofit museum functions, in terms of exhibitions, finances, and operations. There are so many little elements that I had never considered before, and I was able to both examine and participate in their creation.
Reflection
I’ve always known that I wanted to study linguistics and language when I got to college, but I wasn’t sure what sort of job I wanted upon graduation. I wanted to explore my options as much as possible, so when I found out that Asia Society Texas took summer interns, I jumped at the opportunity. I have always loved Asian cultures and languages, so to be able to combine my interests in museum science and Asian cultures was a chance I didn’t want to miss. I love that Asia Society Texas centers Asian and Asian American voices in a time where people feel more separated than ever. I also appreciate that Asia Society Texas serves as a jumping-off point for people who want to learn more about Asia but don’t know where to start, whether they are parents, students, professionals, or educators.
During my internship, I was able to see nearly every part of the process of creating a program like the Young Leaders Institute, from picking session topics, communicating with speakers, planning outreach initiative, developing activities, creating thoughtful critique, and compiling the final report. There are so many moving parts to a museum, and I was able to not only peek behind the curtain but participate myself. I learned a lot about the planning that goes into a program, but the most suprising thing was the amount of research I did. I knew that research was a vital skill to have, but I hadn’t realized how much I would be putting it to use in a corporate setting. I found myself researching something nearly every day, whether it was topic suggestions, background information for critiques, school contact info, or activities and workshops. Having strong research skills is important not just in school, but in every facet of our lives.
I want to find a career that I am passionate about that also puts my degree to use. I’m not sure whether I’ll work at a museum like Asia Society, at a university, or somewhere else. No matter where I end up, my experience at Asia Society Texas will always stay with me. The most important skill I developed was communication, both informational and professional. At school, I only need to be able to understand topics myself and be able to communicate that understanding to people who know more than me. At Asia Society Texas, I learned how to break down ideas in ways that people could understand and resonate with. That’s the most important skill anyone can have: knowing a lot of things or writing dozens of papers is good and all, but those skills can’t be fully put to use if you can’t engage regular people in your knowledge and ideas. I want to take that lesson with me as I work in communication and education.
Business and Policy programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Bank of America, Muffet Blake, ExxonMobil, and SheSpace. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, The Brown Foundation, Inc., and Houston Endowment Inc. Generous funding provided by bp America, Inc., Anne and Albert Chao, ConocoPhillips, Peter and Shirley Kwan, Regions Bank, and Stephanie and Frank Tsuru. Additional support is provided by the Friends of Asia Society, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming.
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.