We’re excited to announce the selected interns for the 2025 Arts Internship Grants! Fourteen Bexar County non-profit arts organizations will be hosting talented undergraduate students this summer, thanks to funding made possible through Bexar County. These paid internships support students who reside in Bexar County—regardless of where they attend college—and offer hands-on experience in the arts and nonprofit sectors. Congratulations to all of the interns selected!
Sarah Zamora is a student at San Antonio College, majoring in the Kinesiology program. The arts and expressions of all kinds have always held a special place in her heart. She looks forward to the coming months under this internship! Her goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the arts community at its most fundamental core.
Breony Jones is a San Antonio-based fine artist and illustrator, currently pursuing her BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work explores themes of identity, faith, and storytelling through both traditional painting and character-driven illustration. Online, she documents her creative journey and builds community under the alias The Bree’s Knees, where she shares behind-the-scenes process, personal reflections, and encourages others to grow in their artistic practice.
Refugio is a senior at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Music Industry Studies. His passion for music and his commitment to learning about industry make him a wonderful fit for this internship. He will be supporting festival operations this summer, gaining valuable hands-on experience while contributing to the success of our concerts and educational programs. Please join us in welcoming Refugio to the CPMF family—we’re thrilled to have him on board!
Nawalli Rubio is currently a junior Computer Science and Cybersecurity Undergraduate student at St. Mary’s University. Though college supports her passion in the technology field, she remains connected to her roots and experiences in dance and arts. Having danced with the Children’s Ballet of San Antonio from 2016 up until college, she is grateful for the opportunity to give back to the amazing team that brings magic through dance to the community!
Milena Sousa is a Music Education major at the University of Texas at San Antonio, set to graduate in December 2025. She currently serves as President of both UTSA’s Sigma Alpha Iota chapter and the ACDA Student Chapter. Her experience includes ensemble performance with the UTSA Choirs, her church choir, and the San Antonio Mastersingers, as well as social media management for the UTSA Choirs and School of Music. Milena is passionate about choral music and music education, and she’s excited to join CCSA this summer to help bring meaningful choral opportunities to youth across San Antonio!
Elia Contreras is a Freshman Vocal Performance/Opera major at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She has been fortunate to perform for the past 10 years around San Antonio with the Wonder Theater, Carver Community Cultural Center, and in the Alamo Heights school district. Some of her favorite roles include Anything Goes (Reno Sweeney), Into the Woods (The Witch), Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour Krelborn), and A Chorus Line (Zach). At the Boston Conservatory, she has performed and/or been a part of 10+ recitals, operas, productions, musicals, and concerts. Along with performing, she loves to help out with tech, play soccer, travel, and flip ice cream at Amy’s Ice Creams. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the Playhouse!
Alyssa Requejo is an undergraduate student at the University of the Incarnate Word, acquiring a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Management and a minor in Psychology. Her hope as the Development and Community Relations intern is to capstone her experiences from the UIW Facilities Management department by applying the knowledge she has learned to assist the Classical Music Institute in its journey of cultivating access to musical education and performance in the Bexar County community.
Madeleine Phipps, originally from Austin, transferred to UTSA and currently is a junior studying Vocal Performance. After 4 years in various opera programs she is thrilled to spend her summer working with OPERA San Antonio. She loves spending her time off reading with her two bunnies or going swimming with her friends.
Marcela Hernández is a student at UTSA majoring in Mexican-American Studies. Their work focuses on preserving history and elevating the voices of marginalized groups. Marcela is the Grand Slam Champion for Fresh Ink Youth Poetry Slam and hopes to inspire more young people to express their creativity through art. This year they started teaching poetry workshops with nonprofits like San Anto Cultural Arts Center and Fresh Ink. They believe that visibility is power and that everyone’s voice deserves to be heard.
Tobias Ryan is a Fine Arts Major specializing in drawing with a minor in Business at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Currently supporting their education through working with elementary children and waitering. After college, Tobias is pursuing a teaching career locally. In their free time, you’ll find Tobias cuddled up with their cat, playing the electric guitar, or deeply focused on a good book/ video game.
Liam is a current underclassman pursuing a dual degree at the University of Michigan- even though he's a born and raised San Antonian. A theatre kid to the bone, he's a former Texas Thespians State Thespian Officer and O'Connor HS Theatre President; he's had a few notable appearances at the Majestic-Empire Foundation's 2024 JOCI Awards, 6A UIL One Act Play State competition, and Texas Thespians Festival's Mainstage. He's still mourning the long hair he kept for 4 years until this February. @liam._.meister
Antonio J. Arce, a Houston native, has always moved through the world with curiosity, creativity, and a touch of the unconventional. Drawn to the arts from an early age, his passion eventually led him to the world of fashion—a realm he entered with a single step and was quickly swept away by its expressive force. For Antonio, fashion is more than fabric and form; it’s a celebration of individuality, a canvas for self-expression, and above all, a space to create with joy.
Gwynny De La Rosa is so overjoyed and honored to be selected as the Wonder Theatre’s Summer Intern! Gwynny has loved performing arts all her life, and developed her passion for it in the Wonder’s own Academy! She hopes to learn and grow as an artist and as a teacher through working with some amazingly talented kids and adults this summer! Thanks to her incredible friends/family! Special thanks to Melissa Treviño and Kahlee Moore!
Natalie Piedra is a 2024 graduate of TMI Episcopal. She is a proud YOSA alumna and was a part of the 2024 YOSA Germany Tour. She recently completed her freshman year at Belmont University, where she is pursuing a degree in Classical Violin Performance under Boris Abramov. At Belmont, she performs in the University Symphony Orchestra, which was featured in Amazon Prime's Christmas at Belmont alongside Cody Fry and Ashley Cooke. Her early training included studies with Philip Johnson and Dr. Eugene Dowdy. As a former YOSA musician, she is excited about the opportunity to give back through this internship and support the next generation of musicians.
