Tag Archives: 2017

A Postcard From: Zahabya Mama ’17

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12810431_10204029079447293_1770339587_oName: Zahabya Mama

Year: 2017

Major: Political Science and Russian Major

Internship Placement: American Councils for International Education

 

 

 

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going.

mama

As with any new city, living in DC has been exciting and fun. Despite it being extremely hot and muggy at points, I think the city is beautiful. The first day in DC I bought a bike as my mode of transportation since DC has a lot of metro repairs this summer, and the cost of a monthly pass is extremely expensive. Biking to American Councils is actually a lot of fun and not as scary as I thought it would be since I get to bike through the National Mall and past the White House every day on my way to the office!

 

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At American Councils, I work with six others who are all part of the Outbound department. Our job encompasses many things, most importantly pertaining to study abroad programs in Russia and Eurasia. Our department offers programs like Advanced Russian language and Area Studies Program, Balkan Language Initiative, Russian heritage Speakers Program, Contemporary Russia Program, Eurasia Regional Language Program, Peace and Security in the South Caucasus Program, Summer Teachers Program, Business Russian Language and Internship and Overseas Professional and Intercultural Training Program. Additionally this department works with Title VIII grants, funded by the federal government, for research and language training to American scholars studying Eastern Europe and Eurasia. In June all of the summer programs have orientation and they depart from DC to places like Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Kazakhstan. As an intern I assist with any and all projects, from social media to accompanying a co-working to various embassies. In my first week I was able to go to the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan to drop off and pick up passports and visas. I’ve also been able to meet other departments in American Councils, like Inbound (who bring international students to the US), marketing, and fundraising. So far it’s been a great experience… and it doesn’t hurt that I have some really nice co-workers!

How I heard about my internship:

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I actually heard about this internship from Emily Lyons-Ellison, who was my program officer in summer 2015 for the Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) in Saint Petersburg. After coming back from Russia I kept in contact with her to see if there were any internship openings and it just so happened that working with the Study Abroad and Outreach department was possible. If it wasn’t for Emily I wouldn’t have this internship right now!

So, if I had any advice that came from how I heard about the internship it would be: Send lots of emails and ask for help. You never know if one of your contacts knows about a job or internship opening. And, most people you reach out to are more than happy to help with future endeavors.  

Why I applied for my internship:

Since I spent my past two summers working on the Russian language, both at Bryn Mawr’s Russian Language Institute (RLI) and in Saint Petersburg, I knew that I needed real work experience. I needed to know how I work with a team, how I work by myself, if I was able to sit at a computer all day or if I would get antsy, etc. I applied to a lot of journalistic jobs, but landed on working for American Councils in their Study Abroad and Outbound department. I figured American Councils helped me shape my career path, so why not come back and do the same thing for others.

My advice about picking an internship: Of course try to be an intern in a place that you feel passionate about, but if you don’t find something that you think will suit you after you graduate, stick with it. Do it for the experience so that you know for your next job what you know you like to do, and what you know you don’t.

A Postcard From: Dana Duncombe ’17

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Name: Dana Duncombe

Year: 2017

Major: Sociology

Internship Placement: HIAS Pennsylvania

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

I described my summer position to a passenger on the trolley today. “I am working at a refugee resettlement organization in Center City, primarily offering case management support and summer programming assistance.” In short, that is my job. I give orientations. I make phone calls. I file paperwork. Yet, and potentially surprisingly, the job never bores me. Why? First, there is no time to be bored. Second, I know the characters behind the papers. I was one of their first faces. I sat endlessly with them in welfare offices applying for benefits and pointing at SEPTA maps. (SEPTA is a very complicated system, a fact I only realized once I tried to explain it.) I listen to Burmese, Nepali, Swahili, Farsi, Arabic, clanging train cars, typing computers, a cacophony of phone “hold” songs, and the sweetness of freshly-learned English. I use my French and I improve my English. I relearn Philadelphia and I relearn the United States.

My summer job extends beyond my one sentence description. It brings me deep into South Philly and the Northeast so I can escort clients to new destinations. I advocate tirelessly for interpretation (federally funded offices are mandated to do such). I see interlocking social services and gaping holes within our system. I see fierce determination from my coworkers and from our clients. I see mutual learning between the two. “Nyoka” is the Swahili word for snake. I learned this while drawing images with one of our Congolese clients in the County Assistance Office.

My summer job is exhausting. I worry about social work as a sustainable career for myself, but more importantly, for the social work community. June saw the most arrivals in HIAS Pennsylvania’s history. Normally the fourth quarter sees the biggest blip. What will it be like this year? What will it be like next year? How can we better support social workers and all caregivers? Having an outlet to constructively impact the global refugee crisis has been essential. But, can we keep it up?

I leave each day brimming with empowered motivation. Some would say I work with a vulnerable population. I have been privy to some of our clients’ journeys and hardships. I ache. But, these folks project so much raw strength and positivity. They make me laugh. They humble me. They push me to think harder. They push me to work and live harder. I am proud and privileged to work with and alongside such inspiring humans. Being a social worker (and now I know it is the career I want to pursue) comes with a Mary Poppins suitcase: forever growing, but full of magic.

How did you hear about the internship?

Upon coming back from a study abroad experience in France, I wanted to directly engage with the global refugee initiative. I found HIAS PA after a bit of research, scheduled a call with the program director, and was hired! Interns keep the resettlement team functioning and I am so grateful to be part of it.

A Postcard from: Emma Basen-Engquist ’17

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senior_pic9Name: Emma Basen-Engquist

Year: 2017

Major: English

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

I’m interning at the Nicole Longnecker Gallery in Houston. Every day at the gallery is different from the next, but you can often find me sitting in on meetings with clients (both customers and artists), researching new sales opportunities for the gallery, updating our social media pages, collaborating with Nicole on PR materials for gallery outreach, working on perfecting our inventory and sales systems, and much more!

Summer Blog and Release Form BasenEngquist (1)

My workspace at the gallery! (The art in the background is “Line Aphasia – Mirage” by Julian Lorber.)

Why I applied for my internship:

Summer Blog and Release Form BasenEngquist (1)2

Pictures from our back room! The work on the wall is “Imaginings” by Amy Lin.

As an English major, my future career possibilities are inexhaustible, and I wanted to learn how to apply my skills in a business setting. I have interned at large corporations and small nonprofits before and I wanted to see how small business was different. I am also very passionate about art and I wished to learn about making art commercial while maintaining the artist’s vision for the work.

A Postcard From: Wenwen Ye

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Name: Wenwen Ye

Year: 2017

Major: Economics & Math

What’s happening! We’d love to hear about how your internship is going.

This Summer, I am a research assistant for Professor Timothy Lambie-Hanson from Haverford College, conducting an economic theoretical research on the topic of Communication Game Theory. The general setting of Communication games is that both receivers and senders can only communicate using limited information, such as a limited number of words, to maximize their utility. Although we have not yet developed a complete theoretical framework, we have a few hypothesis based on our observations. Besides, I attend weekly economic seminars at Swarthmore and participate the Econ Journal club every Friday.

Why I applied for my internship:

I am currently studying Economics and particularly interested in Microeconomics. I plan to apply for Econ Ph.D programs after graduation. I chose to apply for this internship because I wanted more knowledge and experience with conducting an economic research from scratch. I wanted to know how to apply the concepts from introductory economic courses into a further research and to be more prepared for future study,

A Postcard From: Jenille Scott ’17

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20151015_193820Name: Jenille Scott

Year: 2017

Major/Minor: Biology/Political Science

What’s happening! We’d love to hear about how your internship is going.

This summer I am interning at Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Water Works is engaged in a myriad of activities focused on raising awareness about water resources in Philadelphia particularly the watershed. My first project was to assist with the Water Works’ Summit at the Camden Aquarium which had 250 participants from 9 schools. Some of my other projects include helping out with Project Flow; the Water Works’ annual summer program that helps students explore water from an interdisciplinary perspective and developing instructional videos for the sustainability curriculum just to name a few.jenille

Why I Applied for My Internship:

Currently, I am studying Biology and Political Science in hopes of pursuing a career as an environmental lawyer. I believe a summer internship provides a way to gain more hands on experience, allow a wider exploration in a specific field and to try new things. This is exactly what the Water Works’ internship seemed to provide. I wanted to learn more about water resources in Philadelphia and the policy issues that arise when dealing with the city. Additionally, my internship has allowed me to explore raising environmental awareness through educating students and having conversations about the students’ thoughts on the environment.

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Raindrop Activity at Water Works Summit

A Postcard From: Sarah Freda ’17

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13240053_10205895142247086_3036251282368010379_nName: Sarah Freda

Year: 2017

Major: Biology

What’s happening! We’d love to hear about how your internship is going.

This summer I’m interning at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, MD, working at the Global Change Research Wetland (GCREW), home to the longest on-going CO2 experiment in the world. As an ecosystem so valuable in the face of climate change, there are two new projects I’m helping out with. The first is “Coastal Wetland Carbon Sequestration in a Warmer Climate,” a new warming project (the second of its kind in the WORLD) that investigates how well wetlands can build up soil and store carbon under increasing temperatures. The second is a project I’ve started with Bryn Mawr’s own Tom Mozdzer – a litter decomposition project. This long-term experiment will investigate how future factors of climate change – higher temperatures, carbon dioxide and nitrogen – will impact litter decomposition. This will not only contribute to my undergrad thesis, but also to a research project that will continue beyond my internship here at SERC.

Here are chambers from Tom Mozdzer’s prior project here at SERC where I’ll be doing my project! Inside these chambers are either ambient air, elevated CO2, elevated nitrogen, or both.

Here are chambers from Tom Mozdzer’s prior project here at SERC where I’ll be doing my project! Inside these chambers are either ambient air, elevated CO2, elevated nitrogen, or both.

Why I applied for my internship:

Working with the Smithsonian has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. Not only that, but I’m working in a field I wish to pursue in my future. With this internship, I’m able to build off of the knowledge I’ve gained thus far, and apply it to research projects that can make a difference. In a world threatened by global warming, research like this will help determine what the effects of such conditions will be, and what we can do to prevent them. As drivers of such climate change, the people have a responsibility to recover what damage has already and will be done. With the research done here at this internship, I am contributing to that responsibility – something you cannot find sitting in a classroom.

Some new friends want to help with research, too! Here’s a snapping turtle on site at GCREW.

Some new friends want to help with research, too! Here’s a snapping turtle on site at GCREW.

A Postcard From: Anna Ferlanti ’17

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meName: Anna Ferlanti

Year: 2017

Major: Anthropology

What’s happening! We’d love to hear about how your internship is going.

This summer I have taken on an internship at Philadelphia FIGHT. FIGHT is a community health center and non-profit organization. One of FIGHT’s goals is to provide primary health care and many other resources to lower income members of the community as well as people living with HIV and people who are at high risk. The organization is very large but I have specifically been working with two sections. I have been interning at the AIDS library with the Prison Health News. Prison Health News is a newsletter published four times a year and provides health information for people who are in prison. I have also been working with the counseling and testing department, which provides rapid HIV testing, and education to members of the community. I have also been participating in the great events that the organization puts on during June for AIDS education month. Specifically I have been participating in HipHop4Philly whose goal is to encourage youth to take part in their health care by offering free HIV tests. Youth that are tested are given a ticket to a free hip-hop concert that the organization puts on.

Why I Applied for My Internship:

I applied for an internship at Philadelphia FIGHT because I had previously known about the organization and really liked everything that the organization works towards. So far, I have really enjoyed my internship and am very excited about what I have learned and how it is helping me decide how I want to continue my education.

A Postcard From: Elinor De La Torre ’17

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lilacName: Elinor De La Torre

Year: 2017

Major: Sociology

What’s happening? We’d love to know how your internship is going?

This summer I am working at the American Philosophical Society. The society was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin it is a society dedicated to the pursuit of “useful knowledge.” I have a curatorial internship at the APS Museum where I am doing archival research and exhibit preparation. The work I am doing is  for an exhibit on the Peale family that is going to be opening on April 7, 2017. The Peales were a revolutionary war era family of painters, inventors, and innovators. I have most enjoyed the archival research I am doing in the Peale-Sellers Collection, a collection of the family’s letters and diaries. The Peale family was close with many of the founding fathers so it has been entertaining to read their anecdotes about George Washington telling puns, or their letters from Thomas Jefferson warning them about pickpockets. Previously, I have taken a few Museum Studies classes and I appreciate having the chance to compare academic Museum Studies with actual Museum work. We are confronted with problems like how to tell the stories of people neglected by history, especially when we may not have as much recorded material about them. It is fascinating to attempt to create a cohesive narrative that summarizes many different people’s lives and stories.

How I learned about my internship:

The wonderful new Museum Studies program set the internship up and the head of Museum Studies, Professor Monique Scott, told me about it.

Why I applied for my internship:

I’ve been working in Bryn Mawr’s special collections for two years and I’ve really enjoyed it. For a while I told people my favorite class was my job. But then the school got a Museum Studies department and I learned about all the museum job opportunities that were out there. I decided that while I enjoy archival work I wanted a summer job that gave me a different more curatorial perspective on museum work.

A Postcard From: Diana Kelley ’17

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Name: Diana Kelley mtk_color

Year: 2017

Major: International Studies

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

This summer I am interning at the Women’s Foreign Policy Group (WFPG) in Washington DC. As an intern, I get to oversee the logistics of the events we host, research relevant topics, and correspond with V.I.P. guests, including ambassadors. The first event I helped coordinate was the Celebration of Women Diplomats honoring the leadership and contributions of women ambassadors and deputy chiefs of mission in foreign policy. I then helped plan and research for one of our Embassy Series events called Looking Forward: the Future of the EU and Transatlantic Relations. At this event, Ambassador to the European Union David O’Sullivan gave brief remarks on the current political climate in Europe. I will be taking the lead on all logistical elements of our UN Briefing event: Emerging Challenges and Opportunities in Combatting Human Trafficking. I am lucky to work with three other talented interns and I am very grateful for the opportunity to spend the summer working with WFPG.

I applied for this internship because it directly relates to my interests in international relations and foreign policy, specifically in advocating for the voices of women in foreign affairs. As an International Studies major with a concentration in economic development I am interested in pursuing a career in diplomacy and foreign policy. The exposure to foreign policy issues, and the ability to interact with strong female leaders in the field of I.R. represent invaluable resources and experiences that will aid in my personal as well as my intellectual growth.

diana

A Postcard From: Kelsey Rall ’17

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img_7214Name: Kelsey Rall

Year: 2017

Major: English

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

This summer I’m working as a ranch hand on a horse rescue ranch in California. My day starts at 6:30am when I feed, clean, and water all of the horses, mules, goats, and burros living on the ranch. After that, I have a training session with Michael, the owner and manager of the ranch; typically we work with horses who were abused or neglected and therefore fear humans and have little experience being ridden. My job is to get the animals used to human contact and to get them comfortable performing basic tasks people want from their horses (riding, backing up, following a lead rope) before they get re-homed. I’m also in charge of setting up and running a horse camp for underprivileged kids to attend this July. It’s a lot of hard work, and I’m generally covered in dirt by the end of the day, but I couldn’t be happier!

How I heard about my internship:

I was looking for jobs as a ranch hand when I came across a listing for this internship. I checked out the ranch’s website and began an email correspondence with my current boss, Michael.

Why I applied for my internship:

I’ve already had a lot of experience working with animals, but I’ve always been interested in learning more about horses. Also, I really wanted to try living in a completely new place for a summer, and the high desert in California seemed as good a place as any!