Trying something new: from science to art
Zoe Henden, Jasmine Gong, and Jennie Lennick at the counter of Jenny Lemons where they greet their guests
It’s not often we get the opportunity to try something new outside our career focus. Jasmine Gong got to push herself outside her comfort zone in her internship with Jenny Lemons in the Fall of 2022.
Jenny Lemons is an arts and crafts boutique located in San Francisco that has hosted Enterprise for Youth interns throughout the years as part of our partnership with SFMade. Run by the San Francisco-based artist Jennie Lennick, the boutique is a space where “we collaborate with other artists, host craft workshops, sell vibrant products created by skilled artisans, and provide a curated selection of art supplies.” The Jenny Lemons’ team is proud to say that their mission is to “teach our community how to slow down, create things by hand, and to have fun while expressing themselves.” The locally-based boutique has products ranging from banana-patterned hair clips to DIY Fake Cake Craft Kits. Storeowner Jennie Lennick proudly displays her own unique and whimsical designs throughout the shop. The colorfully decorated boutique welcomes anyone who is interested in trying new things and expanding their creativity.
At Jenny Lemons, first-year Enterprise for Youth intern Jasmine Gong worked behind the scenes with Lennick to help prepare and create art kits. Jasmine is currently a senior at Balboa High School and decided to join the Jenny Lemons team through this internship to further explore different types of careers while also learning more about what it is like to work in a team. Jasmine has an interest in the medical field and hopes to learn how to build better social and communication skills through her internship. During her time at Jenny Lemons, Jasmine found that the team environment has nurtured her goals of better communication, even while packaging art supplies and working behind the scenes. We sat down with Jasmine and her supervisors to chat about her experience and what she learned.
Jasmine assembling art kits
How does working at Jenny Lemons connect back to your interests and passions?
“I want to study pharmaceutical science and I can understand that there is a lot of collaborative work in that kind of field. Communication and collaboration are really important for working in a team, so I feel like I am able to learn more about that here. I consider myself pretty introverted so I think working here allows me to meet new people, gain new social skills, and try new things. This internship has helped me be more open. I’m more comfortable asking for help and having people rely on me”
“This internship has helped me be more open. I’m more comfortable asking for help and having people rely on me,”
Do you have any advice for someone who may be trying to expand their work experience?
“Look past your fear of getting yourself into an internship. I was scared to put myself out there, it felt kind of embarrassing. Don’t be scared to try something new.”
Jasmine Gong posing in front of products sold at Jenny Lemons
What are your boss’s roles and responsibilities?
“Jenny and Zoe mainly focus on updating their online business and managing their online orders. They create a lot of the art and products sold so they also work on designing products. In general, they’re very social and nice.”
Jennie and Zoe, what is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten throughout your career?
Jennie: “I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs so I’ve always been very encouraged to explore a similar path. My dad’s wish for me was ‘I wish you could make money from your art.’ And I guess that’s something that really stuck with me.”
Zoe: “I came from a corporate background, so I used to work in office jobs. I think what encouraged me to try something new was learning to be more open and honest. I believed that I should not let the difficult things get in the way of doing the things that I loved.”
Jasmine’s internship with Jenny Lemons has given her the opportunity to bravely step out of her comfort zone and try something new. Though her interest in pharmaceutical sciences may be different from the creative arts, Jasmine was still able to gain new skills and unique experiences that she may not have found anywhere else. Teamwork, collaboration, and communication are all skills that run across various parts of our academic and professional lives. By breaking her shell and trying something new, Jasmine gained new skills that could be used in any aspect of her life.
About the Author
As the Enterprise for Youth communications intern, Tiffany Liang hopes to expand on her experience with design while also learning more about marketing and journalism. Interviewing Jasmine has given Tiffany a unique experience of being the interviewer instead of the interviewee. Though new to the process, she was still excited to learn what it was like to write her own questions, take her own notes, and conduct her own research on the business.
