I found out about the opportunity to intern at Blue Light Junction through word of mouth and social media. I first learned about the organization through a couple of field trips during my freshman and sophomore year. I had followed them on social media, saw them posting about having interns, and decided to apply. I contacted the founder/director of Blue Light Junction to inquire about the opportunity and after a brief interview, we determined that it would be a good fit for me and the organization. She wound up being my supervisor throughout the internship.
Over my two and a half months as an intern, my responsibilities shifted overtime to meet the needs of the organization. They ranged from cleaning and organizing the studio and garden supplies, planting, weeding, and watering the garden, going to partner sites to plant, weed, and harvest, dyeing products and samples for workshops and sales, assisting with workshops, and accompanying my supervisor on meetings with local partners. I am personally most proud of my improvement as a dyer after being given many opportunities to test new dyes and techniques. Some of my samples even became part of the set of examples shown to visitors and workshop attendees. I am also proud of the breadth of knowledge I accumulated about the garden, plant care, and identification.
My biggest takeaway from this experience was the importance of creating strong networks of partnerships. The reason Blue Light Junction is able to be such a flourishing organization is because of its relationships with local businesses, farmers, artists, and volunteers. These relationships are mutually beneficial and create a vibrant community around urban agriculture and cultural preservation.
I have found this experience to be deeply moving and motivating. I have learned that my interest lies in community oriented work and building community around craft and culture. I would love to come back and work at this organization, or a similar one in the future.
