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 summer interns, Katalina Li-Kroeger, who works with our summer camps.

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

Quick Facts

Name: Katalina Li-Kroeger
School: College of William and Mary
Internship Duration: Summer 2022
Favorite project you’ve worked on during your internship: Mini Debates on International Security
Most interesting thing you’ve learned during your internship: I learned about the journey of mountaineer Junko Tabei, the first woman to climb Mount Everest.

Reflection

Having been a part of Asia Society’s Young Leaders Institute in the past, I knew coming in how influential Asia Society can be on a young person’s life: my YLI experience brought me to my current major of International Relations, and I wanted to help provide a similarly eye-opening experience to high school students this summer. But more than that: as a biracial Chinese American, I love participating in Asia Society programs, learning more about other cultures, and generating awareness about my own cultural heritage. This summer, I was given the opportunity to work with children of all ages: from 6-year-olds learning Asian arts for the first time to 17-year-olds diving deeply into the politics of Southeast Asia. I got to watch as people thought through policies they had never considered, discovered cultural activities they had never heard of, and saw sides of Asia that they had never before seen. And I learned so many new facets of the world – never before this summer had I thought about how the Singaporean energy grid can benefit a city in Saudi Arabia, nor looked into the history of Manga and its influence from different Asian cultures.

My internship with Asia Society Texas has allowed me to explore International Relations through the lens of Asian and Asian American experiences. It has connected my culture with my passion and pushed me to look at both from a new perspective. I will be using the skills I have learned this summer to further my academic career in International Relations and Public Policy, to propel my understanding of what it means to be a leader, and to support myself as I develop in college and beyond.

Business and Policy programs are endowed by Huffington Foundation. We give special thanks to Bank of America, Muffet Blake, Anne and Albert Chao, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Nancy Pollok Guinee, 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; AARP, Sterling Turner Foundation, and Wells Fargo, Presenting Sponsors of Education & Outreach; Syamal and Susmita Poddar, Presenting Sponsors of Performing Arts & Culture; 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, McKinsey & Company, Inc., 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.