My Life as a College Intern

Teens experimenting with body casts in last month's Summer Art Explore. Images courtesy of the author

«It was March, nearing the end of my senior year at the University of Southern California, and graduation and the real world were right around the corner. I needed a position working somewhere I could be proud of as a college graduate. I had applied for the Met's MuSe (Museum Seminar) Internship as a junior and was turned down, but I decided to reapply as a senior, having gained more experience in the interim. This time I was confident that I was the ideal MuSe Intern, and I was accepted in April, a month before graduation.»

June quickly approached, and my life as an intern at the Met began! Before interning at the Museum, I had a very limited impression of it. Like most people, I saw the Met and other museums as cold, extremely conservative, and unapproachable, but throughout the internship, my impression changed. The Met can be physically cold (don't forget your sweaters!), but that's only to protect the artwork. The people here make this huge place come alive. The educators, interns, curators, and other staff are incredibly warm and welcoming, and they really make you feel like you are a part of a larger Met family, no matter how long your stay is.

One of the many creations made in Teen Summer Studio: Sculpture

Through interning in the Education Department, working specifically with Teen Programs, I have met so many amazing people that are dedicated to making teens feel at home here at the Met. This summer alone, I have assisted in the planning, prepping, and facilitation of some of the amazing classes the Met has to offer such as Summer Art Explore, Summer Sketching, and Teen Summer Studios: Sculpture and Portraiture. In each of these classes I have had the chance to work with and learn from teens who have such varied levels of interest and skill. One of the most rewarding things is seeing the growth that happens in all the participants.

A teen getting help to wrap up each of his fingers in last month's Summer Art Explore

As someone who fell in love with photography in high school and studied it in college, I have been able to integrate my passion into my work here at the Met by photographing teen programs in action. When I was a high school student applying to extracurricular programs, pictures were important in choosing which program I wanted to attend. I wanted to know who was going to these programs, what kind of work was being made, and if the programs seemed fun.

In photographing the programs, I try to show the diversity of the participants and their work and the happy mistakes that come along with exploring new techniques. While a lot of my photography documents the experience, I also document students' work so that they can start to build or add to their portfolios.

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More teens working together to create body casts

The Met is very open to and interested in what teens have to say. Whether it's through passing out surveys to visitors or providing online platforms, like our Met Teens Facebook page and Teen Blog, we make sure teens have the opportunity to voice their thoughts and opinions about the things they like, dislike, and want to see here at the Met. With this feedback, the Museum is able to propose cool new programs and evolve existing ones to appeal to these awesome teens.

Whether you're into designing video games or talking about early Flemish painting, the Met has something for you, and if it doesn't, we are all ears and excited to hear what you have to say.