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SPC student wins museum internship

The elementary education major will work at the Smithsonian.

By JON WILSON
Published May 21, 2006

"I never asked him one question during the interview,'' said Cynthia Duval, museum curator. "I said, we've got to have this young guy in the program."

Luis Zengotita has proved the confidence was well placed.

He is one of six across the nation who have won a summer internship at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

The elementary education major is Florida's only representative among the six. He also is the only male.

And he is the first Florida International Museum employee to earn the honor.

"I'm thrilled,'' Duval said.

Zengotita said he'll be working with youngsters of prekindergarten age. He'll spend a half-day working in the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center and a half-day creating programs for youngsters.

The Smithsonian internships are available to employees in the institution's 27 affiliates. FIM has been an affiliate since 2000 and is one among seven in Florida.

The Smithsonian's Early Enrichment Center offers what essentially are preschool classes. The program serves about 125 children from 3 months to 6 years old.

As an example of the program's impact, Smithsonian magazine columnist I. Michael Heyman tells a story about a former student, now a young artist who signs her work with a ladybug or butterfly. She does so, Heyman wrote, because she learned in SEEC that James McNeill Whistler signed his work with a butterfly.

"She was 2½ years old when she made that discovery,'' the columnist wrote.

Such precocity is not lost on Zengotita.

A part-time teacher at Grace Lutheran School, Zengotita has already had an opportunity to work with younger pupils just beginning to explore the world.

Zengotita's internship begins June 5 and lasts until Aug. 11. It comes with a $2,000 stipend.

The 2001 Dixie Hollins High School graduate is eager to start, but for the past few weeks has been making the necessary worldly arrangements - such as finding a place to live and figuring out transportation.

"There are at least 120 places I've called,'' he said.

Zengotita finally decided on a rental in Silver Spring, Md. It's close to the Metrorail system, which will drop him virtually in front of the Smithsonian.

One of four children, Zengotita has lived with his family in St. Petersburg for eight years. He originally is from Nyack, N.Y. Something of a Renaissance man, he is bilingual (English and Spanish), has an interest in the theater arts and is a musician who plays piano, guitar, bass guitar and drums.

He also has taken museum operation classes that SPC offers. Duval, the FIM curator, also is the college's museum studies coordinator.

Zengotita has about two years to go before getting his elementary education degree. Meanwhile, he said he'll keep up his interest in museum work.

"Through this internship, I'll be able to combine the two things,'' he said.

The Smithsonian internships are available to employees in the institution's 27 affiliates. Florida International Museum has been an affiliate since 2000.

[Last modified May 21, 2006, 09:15:31]