Courtney Kaufman

October 23, 2015

From Museums to Math Tutoring: Summer Growth Through Intensive Internships

I made good use of my summer break by working intensively on an internship project and volunteering to help poor and disadvantaged high-school students. First I honed my research skills by exploring how the curiosity and wonder of 16th- and 17th-century collectors evolved into the principles and procedures that created today's public museums. My special focus was on the Skinner Museum at Mount Holyoke College, where I am an intern. For my second project, I worked with the New York

City Urban Debate League, a not-for-profit organization that brings debate skills and leadership principles to inner-city students. I was a debate lab leader, teaching speaking, arguing and writing skills. Finally, I made good use of my evenings through New York Cares, another not-for-profit, teaching SAT verbal, writing and math skills to college-bound students. Through these projects I became more involved in my community and gained the confidence to be a change maker.