Today we’d like to introduce you to Taia Bush.
Taia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am a senior at the Houston Academy for International Studies, a school that (in its many opportunities provided to students) tasks seniors with finding an internship for the whole of our 12th-grade year. I was able to find an internship under a former administrator of my school at the Non-Profit Organization and Museum that is the Asia Society Texas Center. I’ve spent the last few months working closely with my mentor, my classmates/colleagues who work there with me, and several of the employees in my office to do various projects around the Museum, make connections, and start a foundation for a Youth Council for the Museum.
My draw to the organization started in experiencing what the partnership between the Museum and my school was like as a Freshman as well as my growing interests in international relations and linguistics (the latter being my desired major starting in Fall 2020). I think since then, those interests have only grown exponentially, so I’ve spent a lot of time watching videos, reading, and just learning and experiencing what I can to be there and increase my knowledge on the topics. My journey so far has just been learning and coming to the point of temporary satisfaction with what I’ve done so far. I can only hope to do more.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a student? Most definitely not. I find that working as a high school student who doubles as a college student is one of the harder things I’ve had to do. It forces you to mature, and while I enjoyed much of my teen-hood, I found that there was little time to do those experiences you see in those 80s and 90s Coming-of-Age cult classics. The biggest struggle was accepting that I’ve given up a large part of my youth to be advanced in life. More opportunities, better education, different people, different school culture, and therefore a shift in my family model. It messes with you mentally, growing up so fast, but I’ve enjoyed enough of the last four years in so many different ways that I can’t say I regret anything. Beyond that, I find that the real challenge has been learning what it means to be a leader. It’s not just taking control of people and situations, but being a team member as much as everyone else. I’ve learned to be flexible as well as amiable, and that’s hard to say and do for someone with the experiences that I’ve gained. It’s very easy to be hardened in this world, but my community and my support system have done a great job at preventing that. I want to mention that being a student is a portion of all I do, no matter where I go.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
Asia Society is an organization I fell in love with when I was 14 and still trying to eat popcorn with braces. Its task is to extend global roles and comprehension, create knowledgeable and empathetic citizens, and to teach communities. Houston is a diverse city, but diversity is not synonymous with understanding and warmth. I find that the organization works with students of all ages and backgrounds as well as an older demographic to help them learn about cultures that westerners don’t know about, or have misconceptions about. We focus on teaching Houston about Asia and the multiplicity (culture, art, food, language, people, places, etc.) of Asia.
I’m an intern at the organization, and while this holds little meaning for a lot of other organizations and corporations, I love my job because I feel like I’m doing and learning something new every day. I spent two weeks developing a presentation on the similarities between the African-American and Japanese communities based around our histories with tea, both in tradition and in medicinal value. I’ll be presenting this to the superintendent of HISD in March, along with several other leaders in Houston’s education board. I presented it to a room full of women across age lines and got kudos from a Harris County judge. A close friend and coworker of mine is developing a presentation for children dealing in the philosophy and history of Zen Buddhism. Another colleague of mine created a lesson that taught kids the differences and similarities between the Beijing Opera and Kabuki in Theater– and these things aren’t dumbed or dulled down by any means. As an Intern, I have meaning. We’re all working on incorporating a Youth Council into the Museum’s task and goal towards educating Houston’s citizens on culture. We want to invite youth to have a place to not only learn about other cultures that may be entirely different from their own, but extend themselves to share their culture, accept it, and find connections that encourage a more engaged community.
Our role, my role, is to help teach the value of self through being able to value others. In working at ASTC, I find that they achieve that as well. I don’t think any of these things make me particularly special because I know a whole lot of people my age with just as much passion and drive to help others as much as they do themselves. I see it in my Posse meetings every week, but I think I do well to bring in a sort of care and curiosity that is dangerous in how wide and comprehensively expanding it is. I hope to share it while I remain working there [ASTC].
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think my care and curiosity are a rather large part as to why I am successful—also, maturity. Call me prideful, but I’m proud of the work I put in and the way I soak information. I live to subvert expectations of what people see me, and girls who look like me.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1370 Southmore Blvd, Houston, TX 77004
- Website: https://asiasociety.org/texas
- Phone: (713) 496-9901
- Email: info@asiasociety.org
- Instagram: instagram.com/asiasocietytx
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/asiasocietytx
Image Credit:
Hester & Hardaway
Lucio Vasquez/Houston Public Media
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
