Kyra Armstrong and the Kennedy Center

I am using my Humphries scholarship to support my internship in the Production department at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts! It is a full time, 40 hour/week unpaid internship, but it has been a truly incredible experience so far. I have my own desk (with my own plant!) and am assigned long- and short-term administrative tasks to complete, while also getting to shadow different members of the production team on shows. The hours can be crazy - as early as 8am and as late as 2am - but just in my first month, I have learned so much and had the opportunity to work on Next to Normal, the Washington Ballet, a one-woman show surrounding sexual assault in the military, an art installation celebrating female artists, and a hip hop concert! Another one of the unique aspects of this position is the exposure; every day, I get to work with the amazing production department as well as many other individuals and teams throughout the center. As an intern, I also get to participate in department “look-ins,” which are essentially meetings to learn about different departments, from Human Resources to Education to the CEO herself! This has helped me learn what goes into running a performing arts institution and make incredibly valuable connections. It’s also a very welcoming place to work: for example, on Valentine’s Day, they Center held free chocolate tastings, and my coworker baked over 8 dozen cookies! Overall, my first month as a Kennedy Center intern has been fantastic, and I can’t wait to see what the next two have in store!