The following is an update from the Newman Center’s summer intern, Genesis Green.

As an intern placed at the Newman Center, that is often the first question that I am asked when explaining what my job is. I try my best to be concise and to the point when speaking to others but given the circumstances, explaining how I operate within the program requires a much more in-depth conversation than I am used to. Fortunately for me, I absolutely love working as an intern and take every opportunity to expound on the work I am lucky enough to accomplish. 

Due to COVID-19, my internship has operated completely online for the last 10 weeks. Though I admit, this formatting has its downfalls, I see it more as an opportunity than anything else. I feel that moving completely online has changed my mindset and has forced me to be intentional with every assignment that I am given. 

Each assignment I was given this summer has granted me the opportunity to explore a different aspect of arts nonprofit work. I have partnered with Community Engagement and Education to create a Community-Based Project that would inspire a socially distanced program for a specific community. I have constructed a platform on which alumni of the internship program may have a space to network and connect with one another. I have designed a Study Guide that acts as a curriculum for teachers participating in the Student Matinee Series and I have written a proposal discussing the Newman Center’s noble commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within the arts. 

Now, at the tail end of my internship I think back on the question of “What do you do?” and I consider an answer. I can now say that I help further diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts by holding conversations surrounding social change. I create spaces for communities to connect with one another through programming and events. I gain knowledge in leadership and teamwork and learn how I can apply it to every job I will ever have. Thanks to this internship, I have done many things I didn’t think I would be able to. Now, I look eagerly to the future where I am confident that I can accomplish even more.