My Laidlaw Leadership in Action project is taking place in London this summer, where I am working with Art History Link-Up (AHLU). AHLU provides free art history courses to underrepresented students while working to transform the future of the arts in the UK. I am incredibly excited to be joining their team for six weeks and working on creating databases of decolonial resources for art history pedagogy in UK secondary schools.

My first week has been incredible. On my first day, my supervisor bought me a pistachio cookie to welcome me (still a little traumatized by the Dubai chocolate frenzy, but it was delicious nonetheless), and I got a tour of the office, my desk space, my work laptop, and a short orientation.

I also met with my supervisor to discuss my first tasks and set up progress check-ins for the summer. Although my work at AHLU aligns closely with the research I conducted during my Laidlaw project, it has also been incredibly rewarding to learn about an entirely new discipline. Coming from a literary studies background, where my work in the archive often revolved around close reading, developing resource databases and creating art history teaching materials has encouraged me to think about how the skills I already have can be applied in new ways, particularly through art historical practices like close looking.

Although I reached out to multiple organizations in London and across Europe, I was especially excited when AHLU got back to me. Many of my closest friends from high school attend university in the UK, and because their term ends much later than ours, being based in London means I get to spend time with them throughout the summer.

To visit one of my closest friends, Shahad, I took a two-hour train north to York. I spent the weekend exploring the city, attending the Pride festival, wandering through its beautiful streets, and trying some fantastic local restaurants.

I've also loved living with Diya this summer—introducing her to my hometown friends, exploring different parts of London together, and settling into a new routine in the city.

All in all, this first week has made me even more excited for the summer ahead. I feel incredibly grateful to be in London doing work that I find meaningful while also spending time with people I care about.