For the second summer in a row, the King County Parks’ Mobile Engagement Team (MET) program is hosting a group of college interns who are passionate about working with parks, government, and community outreach. Galit Berezansky, Malefia Gustafsson, Annabelle “Bee” Kisky, and Luc Tworek have conducted safety and accessibility surveys with pedestrians and disc golf players at Dick Thurnau Memorial Park, as well as other sites. At Marymoor Park, the interns have engaged with concert goers to share more information about outdoor recreation opportunities at different parks across King County. They have also supervised a Skyway Park Sport Sampling Camp organized in partnership with King County Play Equity Coalition and professional Seattle sports teams. As part of this program, the interns oversee a group of 100+ local neighborhood kids as they play and try out different sports and activities.

Summer MET interns Bee Kisky and Malefia Gustaffson set up a giant Jenga game for the Juneteenth Festival at Skyway Park.

“We focus most of our time on making sure that every person who comes up to our info desk feels welcomed and heard,” says MET intern Bee Kisky. “We want to be the connection that helps people bridge the gap between the Parks system and their personal lives.” The interns have focused their work on parks in opportunity areas, like Five Mile district, Skyway, and White Center.

Interns Galit Berezansky and Luc Tworek interact with the public at North Shorewood Park over a game of cornhole.

This year’s MET interns come from both near and far. Galit Berezansky is a rising sophomore at Brandeis University, where she is pursuing a double major in Psychology and International and Global Studies. Malefia Gustafsson is in the process of completing her undergraduate degree in Business Marketing from Arizona State University. Bee Kisky plans on attending UW Tacoma this fall to study psychology. And Luc Tworek is a rising senior at the University of Washington where he’s working towards a bachelor’s degree in Community, Environment, and Planning.  

“The internship found its legs under the work of our first group of interns, who helped provide a better understanding of what would make the experience great. Their input was essential to shaping the experience of the current cohort,” says program manager David Lee. The current cohort’s experiences will likewise inform the next cohort’s work and build upon the program. At the end of the internship, Lee’s hope is to provide the interns with a practical degree of experience that will elevate them professionally into their chosen fields of interest through a better understanding of how to build and sustain communities.

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