USF Students Intern at the Smithsonian

by Edgar Mendez, Office of Development Communications

Priscilla Arrighi ’25 at the National Portrait Gallery
Priscilla Arrighi ’25 at the National Portrait Gallery

This summer, three University of San Francisco students from the Art History & Museum Studies and Master's in Museum Studies programs are making waves at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

These opportunities are part of a broader vision realized through the Ann Getty Endowed Chair in Art History and Museum Studies and the Ann Getty Institute of Art and Design. 

Selected for competitive internships, these students are gaining hands-on experience at top cultural institutions.

Kira Light MA ’25 visits the Milestones of Flight Hall at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
Kira Light MA ’25 visits the Milestones of Flight Hall at the
Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

The National Air and Space Museum

Kira Light MA ’25 never imagined she’d pivot her career to museums and cultural institutions. But, when she came across a Smithsonian job listing that matched her skills — aside from the requirement for a graduate degree — she took it as a sign. Light enrolled in USF’s Museum Studies program and set her sights on one institution: the National Air and Space Museum.

She returned this summer, not as a visitor, but as an intern with the museum’s Communications Department. “It reaffirmed that I made the right choice in switching careers,” she said.

I visited D.C. for the first time when I was nine with my grandfather, a retired fighter pilot,” said Light. “His passion was contagious. That museum awakened something in me.”

 
Priscilla Arrighi ’25 at a stone carving workshop
Priscilla Arrighi ’25 at a stone carving workshop

The National Portrait Gallery

For Priscilla Arrighi ’25, her Smithsonian internship felt like a moment of serendipity. “Senior year was intense — finishing my thesis and final classes. I wasn’t planning on an internship. Then, five weeks before the start date, I got the offer from the National Portrait Gallery.”

A member of the Kaw Nation, Arrighi is assisting curators on two exhibitions. The experience, she says, has been transformative.

“I’ve gotten to work directly with artwork from Andy Warhol and 17th-century prints. To go from researching art on a screen to holding it in your hands — it’s surreal,” she said. Her experience as a gallery assistant at USF’s Thacher Gallery enabled her to step confidently into the museum field. Now, she’s planning to pursue a graduate degree in museum studies.

 
Brianna Fernandez MA ’26 at “Lowrider Lane Corner” during the CaLOWfornia Love exhibit at the California State Fair, hosted by the Sacramento Lowrider Commission.
Brianna Fernandez MA ’26 at “Lowrider Lane Corner” during the
CaLOWfornia Love exhibit at the California State Fair, hosted by
the Sacramento Lowrider Commission.

The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

At the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Brianna Fernandez MA ’26, is helping produce the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Her focus? Supporting the participation of lowrider bike clubs, including Women at the Wheel: Lowrider Culture — a topic deeply connected to her upbringing.

“Lowriders were a huge part of my childhood. I never thought I’d see that culture represented on a national platform, let alone be part of it,” she said. As the program lead for a group, Fernandez coordinates logistics, conducts research, and facilitates communication. “It opened my eyes to programming as a museum career path — and how valuable representation and cultural preservation really are.”

 

The Getty Gift That Makes It All Possible


As the inaugural chair of the Ann Getty Institute of Art and Design, Professor Paula Birnbaum has helped expand student opportunities, build infrastructure across USF’s arts programs, and launch new initiatives, including the Getty Arts Scholars program and a visiting artist/scholar residency.

“The Getty gift will inspire students in the arts for generations to come,” said Birnbaum. “It allows undergraduates and graduates alike to engage with leaders in the field, grow intellectually and creatively, and mentor one another. Internships like those at the Smithsonian help our students become change-makers who use their skills to make a real difference.”

Your gift to the Ann Getty Institute of Art and Design helps students pursue their dreams, gain real-world experience, and shape the future of the arts.