Students land internship with Smithsonian
Despite circumstances, three students pushed through difficult times and earned an internship with the world’s largest museum education and research complex, the Smithsonian.
Distinguished alumnus Cynthia Vidaurri, who works for the Smithsonian, reached out to her alma matter in search for interns.
“This past Spring, she [Vidaurri] offered us an opportunity to identify students to do a virtual internship. She asked for two students and I gave her three names, and she was able to get all three accepted. They are like the inaugural group of our interns and they are doing it virtually. Our hope is to be able to create funding so that we can actually send students there to do their internship,” Dean of College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Dolores Guerrero said.
Matthew Almaraz, Yara Green-Jordan and Evan Hernandez began their internship with the Smithsonian in June and will conclude in August. President Mark Hussey hosted a reception at the Connor Museum Tuesday, June 30, welcoming Vidaurri to campus and offering an opportunity for interns to meet with Vidaurri.
“This experience impacts my education as a student by providing me the opportunity to get better at doing research. I’ve done a good amount of research on the indigenous peoples of Latin America and as a result I feel that I have learned many interesting things about them. This experience is also opening my eyes to the many different career paths that I can decide to pursue after I graduate,” History major Almaraz said.
Students are working alongside Vidaurri on a campus project involving the merger of The South Texas Archives and the Connor Museum.
“I think that the goal of merging the two programs is a fantastic idea that is ambitious but achievable. If we all work together and make it a success, I believe that the end result will be something special,” Almaraz said.
“This project is really important to me because as a LatinX person, I rarely see representation for my culture. We’re striving to be well rounded and offer what we can. This project has taught me a lot about my culture, and I look forward to being able to reach out other LatinX and Indegionous people through this project,” Art major Hernandez said.
Although the project with Texas A&M University-Kingsville and the Smithsonian is a work in progress, students have gained valuable experience through this partnership.
“Working with the Smithsonian on this project has been a great opportunity and experience. The Smithsonian is a highly respected institution and it has been an honor to be able to work with them.
“I have met some amazing people that work there and I am fortunate to have their guidance and mentorship,” Almaraz said.
