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, Esmeralda Martinez, who created arts and crafts activities for many of Asia Society Texas' events!

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

Quick Facts

Name: Esmeralda Martinez
School: University of St. Thomas, Freshman 
Date of Internship: Fall 2023-2024
Favorite project you’ve worked on during your internship: My favorite project I have worked on would be the crafts I did for Spring Break.  
Most interesting thing you’ve learned during your internship: During my time at Asia Society Texas, the most interesting thing I have learned is how dedicated the employees and my fellow interns are into to showing Houston more about Asian cultures. Guests coming in feel welcome and find at least one thing to relate to. Even I was able to learn something new about the Asian cultures and how different they are. 

Reflection

I was matched with Asia Society Texas through a program called Rising Stars. During my time at Asia Society Texas, I worked on many arts and crafts projects for kids to do during the different events. Before my internship, I didn't really go in-depth to learn about the different cultures from Asia, but Asia Society Texas allowed me to learn about their different values and traditions.

I would do research about crafts that represent the Asian cultures which allowed me to learn more about them and how similar but different they can be. For example, for the Spring Break crafts, I was requested to create activities based on the new Explore Asia exhibition. So, I created mythical creatures made of origami from each of the exhibition’s five featured Asian countries, as well as a sushi craft made of cotton based on the Gathering Table. Each project assigned to me always made helped me learn new things and how different traditions are celebrated.

As I stay here at Asia Society Texas for the next academic year, I hope to keep expanding my knowledge about Asian cultures and how they tie with each other. Asia Society Texas has helped me in meeting new people like in Tiger Ball — I was able to network while also having fun and it was an experience that I have never encountered. They have also allowed me to try new things and broaden my interest in Asian countries. I learned how to work better as part of a team, and what went into educational projects. I hope to use the skills I am learning here at Asia Society Texas in the future.  

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.