Programming for The Community: Events & Partnerships Intern Maizie Watters

Growing up near Boston meant I had visited it enough to be confident in my knowledge of the city- from leaving South Station after getting home from school and being greeted by the Dewey Square mural to sitting on swinging benches in the North End after getting cannolis with friends. The part of the city elevated by The Greenway has always been something I was familiar with, though it wasn’t until applying to work here that I realized that these spaces I loved in the city were all managed by one non-profit.

Being able to learn about and have a part in what makes The Greenway special was an opportunity I couldn’t miss. The amount of care put into this space and the team that works behind the scenes to bring it all together is something I wish more people knew about.

This internship was an amazing experience that allowed me to work with different types of events and promotions and learn the various aspects that go into them. From something as simple as finding available dates to activate to something as complex as completely creating my event from scratch, there has been a lot to learn.

My independent project was an event titled “Wellness Wednesday” that I brought to Dewey Square. My goal was to encourage a midweek reset for the lunch rush of Financial District workers. There were multiple ‘check-in’ stations for guests and Greenway staff working with other partners to bring wellness to the community and encourage checking in with their health, body, and mind. As the event went on I heard guests talking about what they were taking away from the event. Nothing makes me happier than knowing people enjoyed the experience I helped bring to them. Creating an event is one thing, but seeing its impact is everything.

It’s hard to narrow down everything I have done and everything I have learned into a blog post, and even picking highlights was a struggle. There is so much to share about my time here, but something stands out above the rest. 

Since I was a kid I have always been a chatterbox, I love getting to know people and creating connections everywhere I go. As I’ve gotten older and started to think about my career I haven’t prioritized my love for people and forging connections. Being able to bring free events to the public reminded me how important it is to have that fulfillment in my career.

The beautiful thing about events is the diversity of what can be done and I am so excited to see where the field takes me next. Everything The Greenway has done for me has helped me rediscover what drew me to this career in the first place. I’ll truly miss this summer of bringing events to a community so close to me. 

However, I will miss the people of the park even more. Thank you to the programs team for walking me through each step, to the entire Greenway staff for being so welcoming and for the passion you all put into this space, to the kids of Chinatown that I will miss spending Thursday afternoons blowing bubbles with, to the artisan sellers I’ve befriended, and to the carousel staff I checked in with every Saturday, thank you.

I will never look at The Greenway the same, and that is a beautiful thing.

Summer workforce development opportunities on The Greenway are made possible through the generosity of Citizens.