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, Robbin Ortiz, who helped with Asia Society Texas' facility rentals!

Learn a little more about Robbin and his internship experience below!

Quick Facts

Name: Robbin Ortiz
School: University of Houston
Date of Internship: November 2023 – May 2024
Favorite project you’ve worked on during your internship: During my first month working at Asia Society Texas, I worked in some of the most fun events that helped me break into the fold. After being on the job for a few weeks, I was assigned to help facilitate some events that included overseeing the traditional Chinese lion dance for a wedding ceremony and assisting with the preparations for another event while the events manager was away for a bit earlier that day.
Most interesting thing you’ve learned during your internship: I've learned so much in what goes on behind the scenes to prepare facilities for event rentals, such as the amount of discussion and paperwork that often start years in advance. I've also learned so much about Asian culture and gained a better understanding of it and broadened my cultural horizons in the six months I was here.

Reflection

Having worked in two other museums, I've been in similar roles for museum rentals but as a customer service assistant. Here, I got to facilitate events. Maybe my future lies in working facility rentals or working for other major museums; overall it has been a wonderful experience.

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.