As the Ex Lab students put the finishing touches on their exhibit, Christina Valdez took a moment to share some of the ways working on Ex Lab has helped her prepare for the challenges of college.

Thanks, Christina!

Open to the Ideas of Others Working on Ex Lab

Guest Ex Lab Blogger: Christina Valdez (Cobble Hill School of American Studies)

My name is Christina Valdez I am a senior at Cobble Hill School of American Studies. This is my third year in Exhibition Laboratory (“Ex Lab”) and this year’s exhibit, Inventing Brooklyn: People, Places, Progress opens this Thursday, June 2^nd.

One of the main skills I learned in Ex Lab was to be more open towards people’s ideas. I wrote a panel for one of the exhibits and I was having trouble formulating the words. When one of my colleagues came over to help and give their opinion on my writing, it felt good to know that someone is there to help you when you need it. Their ideas helped me to check my grammar and spelling so that I have a better understanding of what I want to really convey.

Another example was when we all began choosing the design for the exhibit’s promotional postcard. The majority of my colleagues went with one design while I wanted another but, after they explained why many choose another design, it made me realize that I liked the other design as well.

Being open to other people’s ideas will be helpful to me because when I start college in the fall there will be people that have different opinions about various subjects. It is important for me to know that what brings people together is the fact we are open toward ideas and experiences that we may never have dreamed of otherwise. Ex Lab was an experience that I will never forget.

Ex Lab students working together in the Brooklyn Historical Society library.

All photos in this post by Keiko Niwa.