San Jose Children's Discovery Museum Week 2

My second week here at the museum is just like I thought it would be - completely unpredictable. I have a schedule that gives a basic description of what I'll be doing each day, but never did I imagine that in between greeting school groups and conducting interviews, I would learn something about myself and who I want to be.

Throughout the week, I've been meeting with several different people in a variety of positions here at the museum to conduct interviews about what kind of work each person does here at the museum. I've met with program developers, technicians, directors, managers, and more always asking at least these three basic questions: What is your role within the museum? What characteristic of yours is most needed for your job? and What is your personal mission/purpose for your work? Other questions I ask vary on who I am talking to, but for each person I've always asked these three, and with each person these three questions revealed a passion for what they did. I could see the commitment to their work in their eyes, but when each person began talking about why they did what they did and then explain which characteristic of theirs helps and drives them to do what they do, I realized that that whatever work I go into, I want to be that passionate about my work. Hearing each person's stories of how they got to where they are now made me think that this is possible for me too.

These interviews had started on a Tuesday, but the Sunday before they began an artist came to the museum to conduct a special event in the art loft: Paper-making. Kids came in to blend up recycled paper (yes, in an actual blender), pour it into a butterfly mold, and create their own paper butterfly. This activity not only was entertaining for the kids, but it sparked conversations of migration. The kids and their families were asked about where they came from, and I saw families in front of me begin to explain about the different areas of the world they originated from.

 This activity also helped me personally practice Spanish. While kids were waiting in line, I would ask them questions about the butterfly they were going to make. Some kids came in speaking only Spanish, and when I asked them these same questions in Spanish, I saw their faces light up and they brought their butterfly to life.








Near the museum runs the Guadalupe River, a favorite among the people who work in Environmental Education here at the museum. After an interview with the Associate Director of Environmental Education, I went out with someone who works in that department to test the water of that river. The testing process is not very long, however it is important for it to be done throughout the year to monitor the health of the river. We tested PH levels, river flow, clarity, and DO levels in the water. It was really cool for me to experience and helped me understand work the museum does outside of its own walls.







Overall, this week has had a very large impact on my life. The info interviews I've done have shown me the passion the people who work here have for their job and I felt myself resonate with a lot of the stories and backgrounds I heard. I don't know what I'm going to do when I'm older, I doubt anyone really ever does, but I have always known that I would not be happy with myself unless I was doing something for other people. In these past few days I've seen so many different ways in which people have managed to do what they love and still give back. I don't know what my journey is going to be like, but just from talking with so many different kinds of people, I've been able to reassure myself that I can study what I want to study and still find a way to share what I know and give opportunities no matter what I become. This concept was first introduced to me during Washington Week on that last Friday, but I wasn't sure if I could believe it 100%. However, after just this one week, I've never felt more at peace with not knowing for sure what I'm going to do, and I've learned to look beyond this and search for more opportunities along the way.