Students Shine as World-Ready Interns
As part of Chatham’s commitment to career development and preparation, all of our undergraduate students have to complete an internship. Some adventurous students take this degree requirement the extra mile (or several thousand) and complete internships abroad. We caught up with three of these globetrotters to learn more about the perks of passport stamps and international resume builders.
ELENA WOODWORTH, Sustainability & Communications ‘21
Elena spent 10 weeks in the little town of Pedasi, Panama working at the Azeuro Earth Project, a nonprofit that is trying to create an ecological corridor in the tropical dry forests for the Azeuro spider monkey, an endemic species of Panama.
What did a typical day at your internship look like? The Azeuro Earth Project had a grant from National Geographic to do an eco-artisan project. The goal was to help the artisans in the area become more sustainable by using natural fibers and seeds to make their handmade crafts. I oversaw the ecological side of that by collecting seeds and plants and cultivating them in the office; that way they could be planted throughout the peninsula in areas that would be easy to access. I had to do research on which plants you can use. From there, I created a guide for the artisans that would help them figure out how to grow and harvest their own plants, and then how to extract the fibers or use the seeds to make jewelry.
What's one thing you experienced at your internship that you don't think you could have experienced anywhere else? Probably everything. Working so independently was both a challenge and a blessing. I also met people that came from all over the world: we had six French interns, there was a couple that lived in Japan but were from Belgium and Taiwan. They had traveled everywhere. I was like, Wow, I want to do this in the future.
What advice would you have for a student who is going abroad? It’s important to interact with locals; you can learn so much from them. I got to interact with the artisans, which was really cool because they're a bunch of women who have been living on the land for their entire lives and they know so much about the plants. Once we went on a walk in a forest and this lady was like, 'Here is this plant, you can do x, y, and z with this' and I was furiously taking notes. Also, don't be afraid. You have to be uncomfortable; you're not going to learn things if you don't go out of your way to do stuff.
You can learn more about Elena’s experience from her blog.
Lena Pieto, International business ‘20
Lena completed an internship at a daycare called Kid & Sense in the Aix-en-Provence in France. She worked as a personal assistant to the daycare owner and helped execute art exhibits and educational activities like baby sign language and baby yoga.
How did you find an international internship and what drew you to that? I loved my French teacher in high school, and she told me how amazing it was to study abroad. I decided to go and used the funding that Chatham gave me as part of the international certificate program. Chatham’s travel vouchers practically paid for my abroad experience, which was awesome. I did research online to find the best fit—I wanted to spend as much time as possible in France over the summer.
How did your internship inform your post-graduation goals? I actually want to open a daycare. People pay a lot of money to provide their children with good daycare, but lower income families don't receive the same kind of learning opportunities. I'd like to create a nonprofit that provides low income families with strong childcare at a low cost where their children are being cared for and attended to.
Did you take any European excursions? I went to see my friend in Barcelona, and I also visited the lavender fields which were in bloom at the time. I also went to Paris, of course. It was a three-hour train ride, and I stayed for the weekend. It’s really easy to get around Europe because of the high speed train. Every weekend I tried to do something.
Marco Nakich, Communications ‘21
Marco completed an internship at a Music PR agency in London. During his internship, he got to interview the band Giant Rooks and further developed his communication toolbox.
What new communication skills did you acquire during your internship? It’s really important to put yourself out there in different cultures in order to learn and understand. I had to adapt my listening skills. Now that I have experienced working in a different culture, I know I am capable of doing it. I'm able to learn different customs and slang words easily. It also put into perspective just how different cultures can be, especially in a culture that seems like it would be very similar to ours from the outside.
What advice would you have for another student who is going abroad? There is a tiny bit of culture shock when you first get there but after about a week you adapt to it. I would say explore as much as possible and don't be afraid to break off from a big group and do your own thing. I learned the most from my co-workers and the people I got to know during my own independent experiences.
Did you form any special bonds with the community? My internship was a 50 minute commute out to the sleepy little neighborhood of Walthamstow. Every morning before work, I would stop at this bakery and get a tiny pastry and iced tea for breakfast. The people that worked at and owned the bakery were super nice to me and it was great developing a connection with them. I still keep in touch with my coworkers. I love them so much!
Interested in studying abroad at ChathamU? Explore the possibilities on our webpage.
