Farewell Anjali

As the fall semester winds down, we’re saying farewell to our intern, Anjali Sumpter. An English major with a minor in Anthropology, Anjali brought curiosity and a deep love of storytelling to every part of BMI. Throughout the semester, Anjali jumped into grant research, community partnerships, event outreach, and hands-on support at programs like Poetry Kitchen at Art Walk. Her “jack-of-all-trades” internship allowed her to work alongside nearly every staff member, giving her a holistic view of what it takes to run the institute. 

We’ve asked her to reflect on their time at BMI:

What has your experience been like as a BMI intern?

I like to describe it as a jack-of-all-trades experience. Since I get to shadow a different BMI staff member each week, I’ve been getting a little bit of everything, from event outreach to helping out at events. It’s given me a very holistic perspective on what it takes to run the Black Mountain Institute.

What is something interesting you’ve learned from one of your BMI staff mentors?

I think one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is to be confident and assertive of yourself. I learned from researching grants with Kim and community partnerships with Charlotte. Both of these activities heavily require such traits. The better you are able to say, “This is who I am, and this is what I’m going to do,” the more you will succeed.

What’s been your favorite BMI event so far this year and why?

The Poetry Kitchen at Art Walk! There were so many different activities, and it challenged my creativity in such an interesting way. I think the blackout poetry with cookbooks was probably my favorite. I loved hearing everyone’s poems, and even got to share one myself!