After graduating with a degree in Media and Cultural Studies and Computer Science from Macalester College, South Korean-native Minju Kim joined Twin Cities PBS' Arts and Culture team as an intern through the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network in June 2018.
Minju developed a digital storytelling project around her experiences working within the Somali arts and cultural communities. She reconnected with the Somali Museum of Minnesota, where she had previously interned, and the Minnesota Historical Society, where she had been a museum fellow. Through both experiences, she earned the trust of many Somali students, elders and artists, and decided to focus her project on honoring cultural heritage and encouraging cultural understanding.
Minju embraced new technical challenges to produce, shoot and edit her collection of videos to go along with blog content for MNO. Her stories featured photographer Shuaib Jenhar, painter and clothing designer Mohamed Hersi, traditional weaving, dance and more.
We invited Minju to extend her summer internship so that she and her stories could be part of the Somali Museum of Minnesota's 5th anniversary celebration in October 2018.
As Minju wrapped up her internship, she told to us, "...working at TPT has been a life-changing, transformative experience. Being able to advocate for people I care about and to do so in a creative and compelling way, I found the path I needed to step forward to achieve that goal. It made me sure I want to work in media storytelling."
We are proud of Minju's work to build and nurture relationships in our communities, and we're eager to see where her creative North Star guides her in the future.
