Summer Labors

GAMBIER, Ohio (September 5, 2011)

Classes may be in full swing, but "How was your summer?" is still the popular greeting heard on Middle Path. Curious about how our students spent their time off the Hill, we asked them about their summer activities. Whether they experienced Hollywood up close and personal, coached at a boys basketball camp with Shaka Smart, sequenced an algae genome, or volunteered their time and talents abroad, Kenyon students welcomed the opportunity to learn, explore, and give back. As we close the book on Summer 2011, here's a taste of some of their exciting experiences:

And to see where their adventures took them, check out our Google Map:

Julia Steinberg, a senior with a double major in American Studies and English, interned for an award winning documentary filmmaker, Murray Lerner, and gained hands-on experience editing on his latest documentary on jazz guitar.

Andrew Gipson, a junior majoring in molecular biology, was a research intern at the Cornell University-affiliated Boyce Thompson Institute. The Boyce Thompson Institute focuses on basic research in the field of plant molecular biology.

Imani Ladson, a junior majoring in sociology, had an internship in Washington, DC with US Congressman Rodney P. Frelinghuysen of New Jersey.

Maximilian Elder, a junior majoring in philosophy, worked for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), one of the largest animal welfare and conservation charities in the world. More about Max Elder's summer...

Jane Jongeward, a sophomore, had an internship with the American Shakespeare Center's education department where she designed and compiled the workshops their touring troupe will take out on the road and present to high-schools, colleges, and general communities.

Spencer Carlson, a junior majoring in philosophy, worked for Robert Burke Associates, a retail and consumer products consulting firm located in Manhattan. Clients include Vera Wang, Saks Fifth Avenue, Swarovski, Ports 1961, Marc Jacobs, Bulgari, Target, and American Express.

Marika Garland, a senior with a double major in English and mathematics, worked as an internal communications intern at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Karen Huntsman, a junior double majoring in neuroscience and psychology, interned at UC San Diego's Department of Psychiatry in the Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Program. More about Karen Huntsman's summer...

Ryan Motevalli-Oliner, a senior majoring in American studies, interned in the Education and Programming Department at the Jewish Museum of Maryland in Baltimore, MD.

Rebecca Katzman, a sophomore, and Charlotte Graham, a junior majoring in classics, worked on campus this summer as Farm to Table interns to learn about Kenyon's local food system.

Jonathan Green, a sophomore majoring in political science, was an intern at the White House in the Office of Presidential Correspondence working in the Gifts department. More about Jonathan Green's summer...

Georgina Leslie, a senior with a double major in English and modern language and literatures, volunteered at a psycho-neurological orphanage in Russia.

Kelsey DeLaney, a junior, was an intern for Tribe, a film production company founded by Kenyon alumnus Vern Oakley. More about Kelsey Delaney's summer...

Zachary Goldman, a senior majoring in English, had an internship with j2 Global Communications, a cloud business solutions firm.

Laura McHenry, a junior majoring in biology, and Hannah Smith, a junior majoring in anthropology spent the summer in Kenya participating in the Koobi Fora Field School in Paleoanthropology.

Benjamin Tanoff, a sophomore, coached at the Shaka Smart Summer Basketball Camps run by the VCU basketball program.

Sara Spruch-Feiner, a junior majoring in English and Eleanor Shechet, a senior English major, interned in the features department at ELLE magazine. More about Sara Spruch-Feiner's summer...

Miles Purinton, a senior majoring in drama, interned in the Original Programming Department at AMC cable.

Yukiha Maruyama, a senior majoring in sociology, interned at TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups. More about Yukiha Maruyama's summer...

Morgan Peele, a major in women's and gender studies, interned with the Vermont Commission on Women, a government agency that works with the Vermont legislature to advance the rights of women.

Kelly Anderson, a senior majoring in drama, worked as a casting intern for the Executive Vice President of Talent and Casting for 20th Century Fox Television in Los Angeles.

Margo Smith, a senior with a double major in mathematics and neuroscience, participated in an applied math research program at UCLA. Assigned to the Shoah Foundation Institute, Smith worked to improve a search algorithm for a database containing testimonies of Holocaust survivors.

Ainsley Lockhart, a junior majoring in biology, conducted research at the Joint Genome Institute where she designed and executed an experiment with a single-celled green algae that provided information about the mechanisms of chlorophyll synthesis.

Michael Broida, a senior majoring in English, worked for the prestigious literary magazine Granta, based in London.