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 high school interns, Isabella Thibaut, who works with our Education and Outreach department.

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

Quick Facts

Name: Isabella Thibaut
School and grade: Houston Academy for International Studies, 12th grade
Date of Internship: 2022-2023 Academic Year
Favorite project you’ve worked on during your internship: Education Project's Online Learning Platform
Most interesting thing you’ve learned during your internship: I have thoroughly been interested in the cultural and historical backgrounds of the many artists that have been featured in exhibitions since starting the internship.

Reflection

Growing up in Houston, I have always felt a pull to educate myself on the vast and various bodies of people that make up the city that I call home. Entering a school with a multitude of programs to help me reach a self-proclaimed goal of educating myself turned into an interest that quickly grew into an avalanche of knowledge. Interning at Asia Society has been a whirlwind of experiences, and it feels to have gone by too quickly, but as time moves on, I know that many of the memories and lessons learned will come with me as I move through wherever I go next in life.

Coming into internship each day, it’s a whole new adventure waiting. There’s never a dull moment; there is always something going on and something to be done. Through the past few months a multitude of projects ranging from all sizes have crossed our space. From our first day working on Mid-Autumn festival activities, Night Market (a definite top tier experience), experiencing the multitude of points of views at Tiger Ball, creating lesson plans and crafts for tours and workshops, and so many more.

I always thought life had a definite plan for me. Go into a career field that I’m decent at and do what I have to do. However, interning at Asia Society Texas has guided me to remembering my hobbies, interests, and curiosity for the world around me. So while I don’t have a concrete plan for a career, I can move on in my next phase of life knowing that interning here has prepared me for a multitude of skills of communication, networking, and professionalism.

Business and Policy programs are endowed by Huffington Foundation. We give special thanks to Bank of America, Muffet Blake, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, 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; Wells Fargo, Presenting Sponsor of Education and Outreach; Syamal and Susmita Poddar, Presenting Sponsors of Performing Arts and Culture; and 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, 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.