by Sarah Rinner, Elementary School Program Director
Over the past six weeks I’ve had the great privilege of working with Maria Cruz, a senior (the first graduating class) from the Ann Richards School For Young Women Leaders for a special summer internship. Theatre Action Project (TAP) is working with mindPOP for part of their new Fellowship program, where ten amazing high schoolers from Ann Richards and McCallum High School were partnered with arts organizations to share skills and knowledge in an intense and highly individualized experience.
Maria worked on various projects with us, including:
- Assisting our teaching staff in camp and community projects
- Rebuilding our World Theatre curriculum
- Creating a new system for our summer camp archives.
She also got a chance to sit down with many of our TAP staff to learn how each of our roles play an important part in the growth of our organization. I asked Maria:
What is your biggest takeaway from this fellowship?
While interning at TAP I discovered new skills in my persona. Throughout the six weeks, I have taken away the necessary skills that will definitely help me take my decisions in the future. Skills such as:
- Becoming a well prepared teaching artist. Many of the teachers I worked with me are well prepared, full of creative ideas, and inspiration to work with the youth. Not to mention how extremely talented they must be to undergo from what I’ve heard “a very thorough” application process.
- I have learned the dos and don’ts of administrative work. From the importance of organization to the responsibility it takes to complete assignments diligently.
In all, everything that TAP does is a huge takeaway for everyone. The work they do with the community, and schools is extraordinary, not to mention the impact they make on interns like me.
How has your experience with TAP inspired you?
My experience in TAP has inspired me to become active after college, as well as gave me a direction to follow after graduating. Prior to TAP, I was skeptical about a career in the arts. However, TAP gave me the chance to be exactly sure what I would one day pursue. TAP has opened my eyes to new opportunities, as it gave me an insight of how a non-profit organization works. It expanded my vision of helping kids who are less fortunate grow into strong leaders that exemplify the 4 C’s. Like TAP, I too will change the lives of future generations in my community and worldwide.
P.S. My first day of school I wore a pretty yellow dress.
