The warmer months are some of the busiest in Washington Square Park. With all the hustle and bustle it’s the perfect time of year for the Conservancy to expand our capacity, which is why we’re glad to welcome two new interns to the team!

Leanna and Jona are both rising juniors in college who are eager to contribute to Washington Square Park as part of our paid internship program. These native New Yorkers will be working through the summer to help support communications and programming. Read on to get to know these newest Parkies a bit better.

Leanna – Social Media Intern

Leanna is working on her BA in Marketing Management and says she’s “excited to grow personally and professionally while being able to play a part in supporting a Park I love in the city I call home.” She loves visiting the Park to people-watch and finds herself endlessly entertained by the musicians, chess players, and dogs. 

Leanna’s favorite WSP Memory – I remember spending a whole day filming a dance cover with my friends at the Park in honor of one of my favorite groups that had visited the Park not too long before that. A number of people at the Park at the time stopped and watched us in front of the Arch, so I kind of ended up feeling like a celebrity for the day. Although it was hot and quite embarrassing, it was still a super fun and unforgettable experience. 

Jona – Program/Administrative Intern

Jona is working on her BA in Anthropology, and says she was eager to work for the Conservancy because she wants to help the Park be a place that people can enjoy spending their time and getting a true NYC experience. “I’ve always loved how accessible WSP is. It’s easy for people from all over the city to get here, it truly makes it a park for everyone.” She’s also a fan of the hawks in the Park, “when people think of hawks they assume that they’d be found in more rural areas, but it’s cool that they’ve found a home here.”

Jona’s favorite WSP Memory – “The first time I ever went to WSP was for a student-led walk-out , and I really appreciated the fact that the Park was regarded as a space where students can safely let their voices be heard. I feel like it truly spoke to the Park’s reputation of being a hub of politics and culture in New York City.”