This post is part of our Internship Spotlight series. For this installment, Ezabelle Alvarez (’27) tells us about her internship experiences at the Wing Luke Museum.
Can you provide a brief introduction of yourself, what you did, and what you were looking to accomplish with this specific internship opportunity?
My name is Ezabelle Alvarez, and I am an intern with the Education Programs department at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. In this role, I supported my advisors, Tess and Meilani, in a variety of initiatives, including the YouthCAN program, summer camps, school programs, and guided tours. During my internship, I contributed by developing a potential art project, collaborating with local artists to plan future student programming, assisting with field trip coordination, and designing engaging scavenger hunts tailored for both middle school and high school students. I brought to my host site a strong foundation in education, including my experience as a history teacher and my work as a paraeducator. This background allowed me to create inclusive, engaging, and accessible learning opportunities for a wide range of learners.
In interning with your host site, did you feel like your contributions led to a tangible, sustainable, or positive impact?
I believe I made a positive contribution to the Wing Luke Museum by building strong relationships with staff members and collaborating effectively with colleagues, including those front-of-house staff. Through these interactions, I was able to support the museum’s education efforts and contribute to a collaborative and engaging environment.
In what ways did your internship unexpectedly challenge you? How did you overcome that?
One unexpected challenge I encountered during my internship was working with younger students, particularly those in the second grade. I addressed this challenge by consulting and collaborating with staff members to learn effective and welcoming strategies for engaging younger learners. This experience strengthened my ability to adapt my communication style and teaching approach to meet the developmental needs of different age groups.
How did this internship help you narrow down what you would like to do in your career?
This opportunity at Wing Luke helped refine my interest within the field of education, particularly in working with older students and developing more meaningful and effective learning opportunities.
In what ways did your classes prepare you for your internship?
One course that helped prepare me for my internship was Learning in Museums, taught by Jessica Luke. This class builds upon my prior experience working with high school students in classroom settings and deepens my understanding of how informal learning environments can effectively support both student engagement and educator practice.