Sana Ullah

Name: Sana Ullah

Project: Videography/Photography

School: The George Washington University | Corcoran School of the Arts and Design

Major: New Media Photojournalism, Graduate Student

This summer, I worked at the Smithsonian Institution as a Videography/Photography intern for the Office of Facilities Management and Reliability (OFMR). During my time here, I created fliers for employee workshops, networked with well-known Smithsonian photographers, edited videos, shadowed digital archive specialists at the new museum, and much more.

However, my main project was to create a short documentary on the Building Service Workers (Custodians) at the Smithsonian, that showcased the their efforts and importance to the Smithsonian mission through their own words. I had the wonderful opportunity to get to know each employee that I interviewed on a personal level and was amazed by their hard work and dedication to keeping the museums and facilities maintained and cleaned for the public. We often times overlook the people that contribute the most to our everyday lives and forget to be thankful for their contribution. This project taught me that custodial work is not a simple job, rather it is versatile and should be respected just like any other career. I am happy that I had the opportunity to listen to some of the wonderful stories the Building Service Workers shared with me. I hope that my video showcases their efforts and shares with Smithsonian visitors the amazing team who keep the museums clean and inviting.