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, Selena Ruiz, who works with our Education and Outreach department.

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

Quick Facts

Name: Selena Ruiz
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: My favorite project was the Education Project's Online Learning Platform.
Most interesting thing you’ve learned during your internship: How a nonprofit organization makes money. The Tiger Ball was a very eye-opening fun experience.

Reflection

I became interested in interning with Asia Society because of my huge interest in Asian art and culture. I knew that Asia Society was partly an art museum and worked closely with artists to exhibit their work which I wanted to become informed in so that I knew how to navigate that world in the future. I worked on several lesson plans for the Online Learning Platform, as well as putting my art skills to use to make several coloring sheets for a few of the festivals Asia Society hosted.

In the time I spent with Asia Society, I learned about the behind-the-scenes of how Asia Society makes a lot of their money, which was really unexpected, impressive information. I plan on becoming an independent artist with my own studio space and hopefully get my art showcased in some exhibits. Prior to that, though, I want to work as a concept artist for a gaming company. Being an intern at Asia Society has helped develop my networking skills which will be necessary to get myself known in the entertainment industry.

Overall, my experience with Asia Society has educated me heavily on how a nonprofit functions and the importance of networking and putting yourself out there.

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.