JMZ: How did you first become involved with the Junior Museum & Zoo (JMZ)?
SOPHIE: I’m a designer and builder who has been struggling to find a job that allowed me to use my hands *and* my brain. One day a friend pointed at an exhibit in a natural history museum and said, “You should be making those!” It seemed like a great idea. The JMZ is the perfect place to test whether exhibit design is a good professional fit.
JMZ: What’s a typical day like when you volunteer at the JMZ?
SOPHIE: Right now I’m fixing up existing exhibits, so I’m in the shop measuring and cutting, gluing and nailing. It’s calm, methodical work and I love it.
JMZ: In your opinion, what’s the most important work the JMZ does?
SOPHIE: Being a welcoming community space for families. No one thinks of kids when they think of Silicon Valley…the JMZ is a little haven of plants and animals where tech culture fades away and everything slows down. Kids and parents feel safe here.
JMZ: What do you do when you aren’t volunteering at the JMZ?
SOPHIE: I’m designing a line of housewares and jewelry that I hope to start marketing next year!
