A Summer of Experience

During the Kenyon LA program, I wrote a TV pilot, got to see some historical places, props, and costumes from my favorite movies and shows, and made invaluable connections with alumni in the industry and the other students on the trip. One thing that I did not expect from this program was the effect that my endeavors would have on others. When I got back to Mount Vernon, my hometown, just 10 minutes away from Kenyon, people started asking about my summer. They were shocked when I told them that I wrote a TV pilot in Hollywood. Someone even texted later saying that seeing me chase after my dreams helped them think about pursuing their own creative idea. Because after all, anything is possible, even coming from a small town in Ohio.

— Kyla Keller ’29

This summer, I interned with my lifelong favorite team, D.C. United! Working in soccer during the World Cup was incredible. As a marketing intern, I helped coordinate massive fan watch parties, successfully using those events to generate new club supporters and revenue. Once the MLS (Major League Soccer) season resumed, I worked game days and saw the behind-the-scenes side of professional sports. I even shadowed other departments to help get an idea of what my post-Kenyon life could be like. This dream opportunity gave me invaluable hands-on knowledge and amazing new connections for the future. 

— Lily Sigler ’28

As a low income student, I knew Kenyon would be able to take me places I’ve never been before. But I didn’t think I would have such a monumental, life-changing experience just a week after my freshman year! I was lucky enough to go to Madrid for a week with other Intro Spanish students, and I had the time of my life. This was the first time I’ve been outside of the country, which was magical in itself. I loved being surrounded by a whole different culture in a whole different country. I fell in love with cappuccinos, croquetas and the city of Madrid and its people. Being Puerto Rican, I was able to finally see the country where my last name originated from. I was able to connect with my culture, even if the Spanish they speak there comes with its own challenges and dialect. This trip truly changed my life and I hope to go back for a full semester for study abroad soon!

— Jovi Aviles ’29

I spent my summer in Mansfield Ohio, as the education intern at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary. Alongside everyday husbandry, I learned about avian emergency care and made connections with animals and staff members alike. I worked with all different species of raptor as well as the sanctuary’s education animals (chicken, rats, bunny, and turtles!). I also worked with nature’s toughest foe — preschoolers — through the sanctuary’s summer camp programs and homeschool classes. I drove all around Ohio, presenting the ambassador animals in programs from daycares to nursing homes. I think my highlight of the summer was getting to see our rehabilitation team release animals every single day. From small songbirds to bald eagles, I truly got to work with every type of bird imaginable!

— Charlotte Cornely ’28

Thanks to Kenyon’s generous support, I have spent this summer interning at Anomaly, a contemporary art gallery in Tokyo. As an art history and Japanese major, this has been an exciting opportunity to connect my academic interests with hands-on experience. I’ve helped prepare exhibitions, assisted with gallery operations, and met Japanese artists and art professionals. Living and working in Tokyo has also pushed me to use Japanese every day and experience the contemporary art scene firsthand. This summer has strengthened my passion for pursuing a career in the art world.

— Zhuoyi Bao ’27

This past summer, I traveled with the Wright Lab to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. There, we measured different bones from thousands of bird skeletons. This data contributed to a years-long research project on which many Wright Lab students have worked. During the day, we were conducting research inside the expansive Smithsonian libraries; after work, I was able to explore D.C. This was a beautiful experience during which I met several ornithologists at the Smithsonian, while getting to handle specimens which were collected over the past 200 years, all within a wonderful city.

— Charlie Menzel ’28

This summer, as a Kenyon Summer Science Scholar in the Petersen Zebrafish Lab, we were given the incredible opportunity to travel to Edinburgh, Scotland. Under Professor Sarah Petersen, Shoshana Marcus ’28, Lex Kelly ’28 and I worked at the University of Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital in the Lyons Lab where we learned complex microscopy and gathered new data. We also collaborated with expert scientists who expanded our understanding of scientific collaboration and careers in research. Out of the lab, we had time to explore Edinburgh, see some amazing castles, and go on some stunning hikes. It was an unforgettable summer!

— Beija Waltmunson ’27

This summer, I had the opportunity of interning with a neuroscience lab at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. I conducted an original experiment in which I used patch-clamp electrophysiology to record the electrical activity of singular neurons. (Seeing a neuron fire action potentials in real time is a thrill I will never forget!) I got tons of hands-on experience working with live cell culture, and even had the opportunity to present my work at the MBL undergraduate symposium. Lab research is so incredibly rewarding; I’m super excited to continue working on this project! 

— Ava Yu ’27

Over the summer, I was invited to serve virtually as a panelist for an online discussion titled “Can AI Replace Human Creativity? A Dialogue Between Literature, Ethics, and AI,“ hosted by the Department of English at Fatima Jinnah Women University in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on June 29, 2026. I was the only undergraduate speaker on the panel, joining several internationally recognized scholars whose work has shaped conversations around AI and the humanities, including Katherine Hayles (UCLA), Dennis Yi Tenen (Columbia), David J. Gunkel (Northern Illinois University), and others. The discussion explored whether AI can truly be creative, and one takeaway that stuck with me is that the more interesting question isn’t just whether AI can replace human creativity, but how it pushes us to rethink what creativity means in the first place, and why the human perspective still matters. 

— Ayesha Aslam ’27

As an anxious person, I had my fair share of anxiety-inducing moments on my San Francisco trip with the John W. Adams program, such as sitting in a driverless Waymo back to the hotel at 10 p.m. or walking into my first academic conference. But those moments are simply part and parcel of the overall wonderful experience. So, in no particular order, here are also some of my joy-inducing moments: listening to scholars all over the world present fascinating socio-legal research, taking in the immense beauty of blooming branches swaying in the wind all over Alcatraz Island while learning about its history of indigenous resistance, enjoying a burrito with other summer scholars on the hill of Mission Dolores Park. I am now back in Gambier, a senior (!) with very fond memories spent with Kenyon peers and faculty on the other coast.

— Chau-Anh Nguyen ’27