Meet Our Intern: Britney Rodriguez!

We are thrilled to welcome an awesome intern from Oakland Community College to the crew at GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit this summer! Britney has already been super helpful by diving into 1:1 Literacy Tutoring with several participants, supporting group programs as an assistant and photographer, getting to know Playhouse families, helping out with prep for our GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge, and more!

Please take a moment to get to know her below!

Hello, my name is Britney! I’m turning 21 this year and completing my associate degree in the Mental Health/Social Work program. I work 2 jobs that I enjoy, one is at a manufacturing company and the other is a food truck! I have a dog name Estrella, which means Star in Spanish. She is very energetic and loves wearing shirts (despite appearances in the photo below). I am bilingual in English and Spanish, and also know some limited Chinese.

In my free time I enjoy anything related to art or music! I am self-taught and feel incredible joy when creating different forms of art. I’ve worked with many mediums, including painting, ceramics, and event jewelry. For me, painting is a form of self-expression, freedom, stress relief, and therapy. I also love listening to different genres of music and the sensations music creates!

A fun fact about me, is I played the violin for 7 years throughout middle school and high school! I also entered art in my college exhibition this year, which is a great opportunity for others to see and experience some of what I create and cherish.

I got involved with GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit through my school internship. Even though I don’t personally know anyone with Down syndrome, I am excited to get to work with the folks in this community, while growing and developing myself!

When I graduate from OCC, I would like to become an Art Therapist. This career choice was influenced by my love for art and supporting those with mental health challenges. Art is a powerful way to express, especially when words aren’t enough. I aim to work with children and youth, to help them feel heard and validated with their emotions and experiences!

Thank you, Britney! We’re so happy to get to work with you this summer and hope the relationship is mutually beneficial.

We are also grateful to Kelli J. Marks and Desirae Carr, who work with the OCC social work program to help facilitate these internship placements. Thank you for believing in our mission and purpose, and understanding the value of your students becoming educated about Down syndrome and involved in our community.