Tag Archives: 2019

A Postcard From: Lila Brooks ’19

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Name: Lila Brooks
Class Year: 2019
Major: Russian Studies and International Studies
Hometown: Tesuque, N.M.

Internship Placement: HIAS Pennsylvania
Job Title: Assistant to the Education Coordinator
Location: Philadelphia

What’s happening at your internship?

Every summer, HIAS conducts an education program for refugee students grades K-12 to improve their English while practicing writing, math and art. This year’s program starts July 5, so we are currently very busy talking with students and parents, coordinating volunteers and helping teachers prepare for classes. Most of my work focuses on communicating with our large volunteer base to ensure that the teachers have the support they need in the classroom. My other duties also include assisting in English classes and conducting home visits to clients’ houses to discuss education-related issues.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I found this internship through LILAC’s career services and was struck by how well it fit my interests in refugee and immigration policy as well as education. After interviewing at HIAS, I was impressed with the staff’s dedication to their work and loved the environment that such a small team of workers cultivates. I knew that at HIAS I would see the wide range of refugee aid work while also receiving one-on-one mentorship from the staff.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

My favorite part of this internship has been working with the students enrolled in our summer program. Their eagerness to learn and openness about their experience as English learners make them exciting and easy to work with. Most recently, I was given the opportunity to teach the beginner English class that HIAS offers each week. Working with students at this level is a huge challenge in the creative methods of communication that it requires but also very rewarding in that every new word or saying a student learns is a huge accomplishment. The goals of these classes is not to produce fluent English speakers, as this is often unrealistic, but rather to give students the tools they need to achieve independence and self sufficiency in the U.S. I find that teaching with this objective in mind creates classes that are much more applied and hands-on than the average language class. Watching students learn within this context and become more confident in their language use is hugely rewarding and motivating.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

One of the most unexpected things I have learned is the importance and challenge of communication. Whether it is organizing 30 volunteers for the summer education program, communicating with a beginner English speaker, or trying to speak to a Ukrainian client in my broken Russian, all of my work at HIAS revolves around communicating with others. Although communication is an important skill in all areas of life, it seems especially crucial in refugee aid where one finds both metaphorical and physical boundaries that break down lines of communications. Speaking to clients, often through an interpreter, has taught me to be specific with my words and to never take for granted the aspect of life in the United States that appear simple to an American. These experiences have made me more aware of how we present and communicate ourselves to others and the complex outcomes when these communications break down. Although unexpected, this is one of the most valuable skills I have gained working at HIAS and believe that it will be easily transferable to my classes at Bryn Mawr and future employment.

A Postcard From: Natalie Kawam ’19

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Name: Natalie Kawam
Class Year: 2019
Hometown: Bernardsville, N.J.
Internship Placement: Cleaver Magazine
Job Title: Editorial Intern
Location: Philadelphia

What’s happening at your internship?

This summer, I am working as an editorial intern at Cleaver Magazine, a growing international literary magazine that celebrates both emerging and established artists of poetry, prose, short fiction, visual art, essays and nonfiction. My responsibilities entail selecting poetry for publication, writing book reviews to be published in Cleaver’s “Book Review” section, and developing the “Life As Activism” blog, which serves as a literary platform to promote social justice.  Additionally, I am responsible for posting on Cleaver’s Instagram account for the summer, where I promote artists featured in the magazine.

Why did you apply for this internship?

Bryn Mawr’s Creative Writing department instigated my desire to pursue a career in editing and publishing. I believe this internship, one where I perform the tasks necessary for the production of a magazine, is laying the foundation for my career path. In the near future, my experience has helped me choose which courses I need to select for upcoming semesters in order to further my capabilities as a critical reader and writer. Overall, I have begun to understand the type of environment where I can imagine myself being successful, one with people who are as passionate about cutting-edge literature as I am.

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

Much of this internship involves honing my ability to select strong pieces of literature for the upcoming magazine issue. In other words, I’m learning how to identify which submissions do and do not identify with the publication’s mission. As there are dozens of submissions daily, this is a succinct process. It’s been a rewarding experience learning how to read people’s work carefully and in a timely fashion.

Additionally, I’m also learning how to write formal book reviews, which will be edited by my superiors and published on Cleaver’s website. This process is surprisingly familiar; last semester, one of my classes required that I read a book per week and write an in-depth analysis about the work. Book reviews are of the same breed. I’m learning how to write at length about a book’s prevalent themes, nuances, style of craft, and so on.

What is most rewarding about your internship?

This internship offers an excellent opportunity to network, and I am gradually starting to recognize how many people of the writing sphere know each other. A number of my superiors not only provide me with guidance on how to best perform in my role as an intern, but also offer advice on choosing a career path. One of the editors even sparked my interest in pursuing a master of fine arts degree, a notion I now consider seriously.

A Postcard From: Emily Barry ’19

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Name: Emily Barry
Class Year: 2019
Major: Mathematics
Hometown: Madison, Wis.

Internship Placement: Education for Sustainability – Philly Project
Job Title: Education for Sustainability – Philly Intern
Location: Bryn Mawr College

What’s happening at your internship?

This summer, I’m interning on campus with Professor Victor Donnay from the mathematics and environmental studies departments. He recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation to work alongside the School District of Philadelphia’s GreenFutures sustainability plan. The goal of this project is to focus on the topic of Education for Sustainability (EfS) by integrating relatable, applicable, and actionable environmental-related curricula into classrooms. To achieve this goal, we are running a pilot program with 14 teachers to implement EfS learning in hopes of inspiring students.

My role in this program is to investigate pre-existing EfS lesson plans and curricula from throughout the country to use as a resource for teachers. These lesson plans need to address certain EfS standards as well as have a certain degree of applicability to students’ lives. The hope is that students will be able to learn about current issues that affect their lives and be provided with a way to solve them. Additionally, I am helping create an environmental sustainability ecosystem – or network – of businesses, organization, informal education groups, etc., that are willing to partner and serve as advisers and supporters to teachers and this program.

Why did you apply for this internship?

Throughout the spring semester, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do this summer. One day, in my Real Analysis math class, my professor, Victor Donnay, told the class about a really cool grant and that he wanted to hire an intern for the summer, and I knew immediately that I was going to apply.

I wanted to be involved in this project because I hope to share my passion for protecting this planet with other young individuals. I feel that if we don’t teach environmental sustainability to children, we run the risk of further damaging our planet. I want to be able to help current generations so that they can help future generations appreciate and enjoy all that this planet has to offer. I hoped that by applying to this internship, I could be involved in doing just that.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

My internship has shown me a different side of education. Having always been on the receiving end, I never realized how much work teachers and administration put in. I’ve especially been surprised by how many aspects there are to the administration of education. Going into this internship, I didn’t realize how necessary it is for people to constantly be working to improve, support, and maintain the education system.

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

The biggest skill I’ve learned from this internship has been how to work independently. With previous jobs and education, I’ve always had frequent interaction with professors, bosses, and peers. With this internship, I’ve had to learn how to work without them. My internship has really helped push me to make on-the-spot decisions on my own, and create a strong work ethic to maintain a consistent schedule.

This internship has also helped me develop the skills of networking and making connections. As part of my project, I have to help develop an ecosystem of supporters. This task has really helped me improve my interpersonal skills as well as learn how to maintain connections.

A Postcard From: Emily Hsu ’19

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Name: Emily Hsu
Class Year: 2019
Major: English
Hometown: San Carlos, Calif.

Internship Placement: Canaday Library, Bryn Mawr College
Job Title: Digital Curriculum Intern
Location: Bryn Mawr, Pa.

What’s happening at your internship?

I’m working this summer as a Digital Curriculum Intern with LITS (Library Information & Technology Services) at Bryn Mawr College, where I’m working with my fellow interns to enhance our digital skills and learn how to implement technology so that its beneficial in education. In some of the projects that we’ve worked on thus far, I’ve gained more experience editing audiovisual media and I’ve learned about the Digital Competencies initiative, which is working to give students the opportunity to reflect upon and improve their digital skills. My fellow interns and I have been giving LITS feedback and researching ways for students and teachers to develop their digital competencies.

As part of my internship, I was recently able to attend and briefly present at a Digital Scholarship meetup, where I learned about many of the exciting ways that scholars are using technology to boost their research projects. In future projects, I anticipate that I’ll be performing research and creating documentation for the Domain of One’s Own initiative, learning more about the new Moodle features, and improving my own Digital Competencies along the way.

Why did you apply for this internship?

As an English major who is also very interested in tech, I wanted to do something that involved both of my passions. Learning how people integrate digital tools with the humanities in order to enhance education and research seemed like a great way to do that and has proven to be really fascinating. I also hoped to further develop my digital skills, like my audiovisual editing and my digital writing and publishing.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

My favorite part has been working with and learning from all my fellow interns and from the LITS staff. Everyone is incredibly kind and smart, and they all make me want to be better and work harder.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

I wasn’t really expecting to gain so much useful advice on how to be more professional. Since my internship started, I’ve learned more about the importance of networking properly, how to be a better project manager, and even how to improve my LinkedIn.

A Postcard From: Leah Baer ’19

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Name: Leah Baer
Class Year: 2019
Major: History
Hometown: Millburn

Internship Placement: Gettysburg
Job Title: Interpretive Intern
Location: Gettysburg National Military Park

What’s happening at your internship?

Gettysburg is currently preparing for the much anticipated battle anniversary. Thousands of people come to Gettysburg National Military Park on the first three days of July in order to partake in programs that delve into the most complex parts of the campaign and battle. For the anniversary, I am depicting Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Füger of Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, so I have to write an outline about his accomplishments during the battle to tell visitors throughout the day. I am also developing my Third Day Program, which discusses Pickett’s Charge and its role in the battle and overall war. For the program, I am focusing on the role of immigrant soldiers in the Union Army, specifically on the third day of the battle, and their pivotal role in helping General George Meade achieve this necessary victory.

Why did you apply for this internship?

This internship requires me to apply all the skills I acquired as a history major on a grand scale. Gettysburg National Military Park receives thousands of visitors per day, and I wanted to play a role in helping people comprehend the complex and tumultuous events that occurred here and how the universal themes embedded in the battle still resonate today.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

My favorite part of the internship is helping with the children’s program conducted at the park. The program, called Join the Army, teaches children what the typical soldier experienced during the army as well as allow them to learn some commands and march around the battlefield. The children that participate are always really excited to be at the park, and they are so inquisitive about Gettysburg and the soldiers that fought in this major battle. I also learned from conducting this program that children will absorb the information we tell them if they are allowed to participate and mimic everything we previously told them.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced at your internship?

The most substantial challenge I faced during my internship was garnering public speaking skills. The amount of people that attend the program changes every time, so I could be speaking to four people one day and 35 the next. The first time I presented my Third Day Program to the public I stumbled a lot and constantly looked down at my notes to remind myself what I had to say next. I practiced several times, and finally reached the point where I was confident with what I was telling the audience. I had to remind myself that the audience wants me to succeed and their goal is not to make me stumble with random innocuous questions.

A Postcard From: Leslie Goloh ’19

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Name: Leslie Goloh
Class Year: 2019
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Accra, Ghana

Internship Placement: Canaday Library
Job Title: Digital Curriculum Intern
Location: Bryn Mawr College

What’s happening at your internship?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been learning Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Adobe Audition to edit video and audio presentations from the conference on Blended Learning in the Liberal Arts, which was hosted here on campus in May this year. Two other interns and I work on these videos together. We are also doing research and documentation on Moodle features that are meant to improve communication between the Dean’s Office and students on academic planning and advising. I also serve as a resource as well as gather resources for the development of the Bryn Mawr Digital Competencies Framework, which is designed to help students identify the digital skills required to excel and succeed in an increasingly digitized world, identify and participate in opportunities that will develop these skills and, finally, learn to express and demonstrate them as needed. Lastly, I also happen to be a test subject for the Virtual Reality interns working on the Microsoft Hololens, which is very exciting!!

Why did you apply for this internship?

As a computer science major, I explore technology from a very theoretical point of view with lots of coding and mathematics. So for me, this internship was a break from that to focus on and explore the user side of the technology from an educational standpoint. I was also interested in doing work that was user-oriented and focused on efficiency, convenience and usability.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

I have learned and am still learning a lot about what it means to truly work as a team since I work with two other Digital Curriculum interns in the same workspace. In the discourses about teamwork, I usually hear a lot of focus on the idea of “respecting your team member’s opinions and suggestions” but I know now that it is not enough to just respect their opinions. Their work must also be respected and their passions and interest should also be taken into consideration during interactions. That is, your own personal expectations about what your finished group work should look like, or how people should feel about the work you’re doing together, should be put on the back burner. Each team member should be given the space to do their work and their ability to do it should be trusted. This promotes an air of freedom and trust in the workplace which stimulates communication and keeps work flowing nicely.

I have also learned that I really do enjoy editing video and audio files. And I’ve discovered application software that I can use for this as well as for 3D design and animation and I’m very excited about trying them out.

What is most rewarding about your internship?

As a computer science major, I spend a lot of time coding and learning a lot about the mathematical theories surrounding the hidden digital world; however, much of my interactions with computers outside of school work consists of more simple actions like file backups, storage and organization, browsing for information, managing my social media accounts, etc. As simple as these tasks may seem, they take knowledge and some level of skill to perform effectively and efficiently. Unfortunately, the rushed space of my computer science classes does not give me the time to absorb or understand how I develop these skills. This is the point where this internship has been most rewarding. As I get more knowledgeable and develop these digital competencies, I envision myself as a well-rounded computer scientist who understands both sides of technology and who can adapt to the changes of the digital world.

A Postcard From: Victoria Berke ’19

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Name: Victoria Berke
Class Year: 2019
Major: Chemistry
Hometown: Exeter, N.H.

Internship Placement: Bryn Mawr Summer Science Research
Job Title: Laboratory Assistant
Location: Bryn Mawr College, Burgmayer Lab

What’s happening at your internship?

I am working in Dr. Sharon Burgmayer’s Bioinorganic Chemistry lab. We are a synthetic lab, doing small molecule modeling of the molybdenum cofactor, specifically the pyranopterin dithiolene ligand. My job is to synthesize starting materials for right now, although by the end of the summer I hope to be synthesizing the actual cofactor anologue, which is the molecule we study.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I have worked in this lab for three semesters, and am passionate about chemistry. I applied to stay for the summer because I want to improve my laboratory technique and advance to higher-level synthesis before the school year starts.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

My favorite part of this internship has been building relationships with the graduate students in the Chemistry Department. During the school year, everyone is very busy with their own projects and classes, which makes it difficult to bridge the gap between the undergraduate and graduate experience. During the summer, we are all in the lab full time together, so there are many chances for mentorship and relationship building.

What is most rewarding about your internship?

It has been very rewarding to see my skills improve at a pace that would be impossible during the school year. For reference, during the school year I am in the lab only about 10 hours a week, and I am only able to get a fully purified product about once every 1.5 weeks, whereas I can complete these reactions in one or two days during the summer. This has enabled my technique to improve greatly, especially as it is easier to take and remember feedback about a reaction when you are doing the same reaction the next day as opposed to a week from when the feedback is given.

A Postcard From: Sasha Rogelberg ’19

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Name: Sasha Rogelberg
Class Year: 2019
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.

Internship Placement: Arts and Science Council
Job Title: Just a humble intern!
Location: Charlotte

What’s happening at your internship?

The Arts and Science Council is a nonprofit organization in Charlotte, N.C., that basically exists in place of an office of cultural affairs and works to make cultural programming in Charlotte more accessible and sustainable. The organization acts as a liaison for cultural organizations and the greater community.  A couple of months ago, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force released a report on the continuing economic and racial segregation of Charlotte and its surrounding towns and outlined suggestions to help mitigate these problems. The Charlotte community and other organizations critiqued the report for remaining so abstract and not providing concrete solutions or initiatives that address the problems outlined in the report. By the end of the summer, I hope to curate documents and reports outlining the role ASC plays in working to mitigate these problems with more concrete solutions.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I originally connected with the VP of Programs and Services of ASC to potentially connect with a member of an organization ASC supports (like WFAE, our local NPR station) to see if I could get an internship position there. However, as I spoke more with members of ASC, I realized that my interest in curating narratives and information would also be of use to this organization. Additionally, and that because there was no formal internship position, I would have greater jurisdiction over how I spent my time at the organization. I also complain a lot about the atrocities of conservatism and discrimination that have transpired in North Carolina, and I think being part of an organization that values social justice is a way of putting my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

Altthough I’ve lived in Charlotte for most of my life, I never really connected with the city.  The passing of HB2 and the murder of Keith Lamont Scott among other events last year made me resent and, in a way, demonize North Carolina, as those events marked how rampant homophobia, transphobia, and racism are in my home state.  ASC has been an organization that has acknowledged North Carolina’s shortcomings as a state that promotes equity. Now as a small part of the organization, I have learned not only more detailed accounts of Charlotte’s history with gentrification and racial segregation, but have also heard thoughts from community members and surrounding organizations on efforts to work against Charlotte’s continued racism.  Being a part of ASC has helped me not dismiss the atrocities that have happened in this state, but rather recognize North Carolina as a multifaceted and changing place. ASC has given me a different lens in which to view change in the place I live and to learn from the individuals trying to make positive and meaningful change here.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced at your internship?

I think the excitement of starting an internship really motivates one to want to dive into a big project and work really hard, but I realized I had to pace myself and spend a lot of time meeting with folks inside and outside of the organization to make sure I fully understood many of the facets of ASC before making commentary on how the organization functions. Because I’m designing my own internship experience, I’ve had to be proactive in scheduling meetings and finding research, which is hard when you don’t always know what you’re looking for.  I’m learning how to strike a balance between how much time to spend just taking in information and time spent actually doing something with the information I’ve learned.

A Postcard From: Madeleine Maier ’19

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Name: Madeleine Maier
Class Year: 2019
Major: International Studies in the Middle East, Francophone Studies
Hometown: Eugene, Ore.
Internship Placement: VITALS (Valley Immigration Training, Advocacy, and Legal Services)
Job Title: Extern
Location: Springfield, Ore.

What’s happening at your internship?

VITALS is a new nonprofit in the Eugene/Springfield area. They provide low-cost legal services to immigrants in the area, as well as clients all over the U.S. Another mission of the organization is the education of students in immigration law, so I have been very lucky to have an internship that is not centered around making copies or filing. Instead, I am getting the chance to experience many parts of the process: researching asylum cases, meeting with clients, filing out DACA and U-VISA paperwork, observing immigration court, and writing reports.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I was interested in doing some kind of work with immigrants or asylum seekers, so that I could understand the U.S. processes more and maybe have a chance to practice my Arabic, French, and Spanish. I also really appreciate the emphasis on learning for the student interns.

Was this internship what you expected it to be?

My internship has been really hands on. Even in my first morning I helped to interview a client for her asylum case, and later wrote up the report. I really love getting the chance to do so many different things in the office and I’m happy to have the chance to work directly with clients, which also helps with my language skills. I’ve also really enjoyed doing research for asylum cases, which require lots of documentation of human rights violations in the client’s home country. For this, I read through newspaper articles, government reports, NGO reports, and academic studies to support our clients’ claims. I am learning a lot about specific human rights issues in different countries, and although it can be hard to read about, it feels very important.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced at your internship?

The most difficult part of my internship is how emotionally taxing it can be. Asking clients to relive the worst memories of their lives, sometimes for the first time, can feel like a huge responsibility. It’s also difficult to see how few of the cases are accepted by the court—so much of it seems to be down to chance and the mood of the judge that day. The system is unfair and broken, and it can be hard to watch our clients struggle through it. There are no guarantees, as much as we wish there were, and so empathy and compassion are a huge part of the work that I am doing.

A Postcard From: Aldercy Lam ’19

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Name: Aldercy Lam
Class Year: 2019
Major: Sociology
Hometown: Philadelphia
Internship Placement: Art-Reach
Job Title: Program Intern
Location: 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia

What’s happening at your internship?

Art-Reach is a tiny team of five, so my everyday responsibilities require assisting any member of the team whenever I’m needed. Because we are in constant communication with human service agencies and art partners (museums, theaters, and cultural organizations), my duties usually fall within that line of correspondence. For example, I process the ticket requests that the agencies send us through a program, and then email our art partners to make it happen. I also mail out thank you letters from our members to Art Partners and donors. Additionally, I get out of the office and assist in adaptive art workshops. This past week I went on a touch tour at the Philadelphia Theatre Company with the Associated Services for the Blind (ASB), where we were able to get on stage and feel the different props.

Why did you apply for this internship?

The initial reason why I was attracted to Art-Reach was because I was passionate in assisting them with their mission. Taking sociology courses opened my eyes to the way systematic inequality has produced real consequences on underserved communities. After taking these courses and declaring a sociology major, I’ve decided that I want to pursue a career where I can support the individuals and families facing these challenges.
At Art-Reach, we accomplish this by bringing art to members of the low-income and disability communities. I was especially interested in this organization because they are based in Philadelphia, where there are an abundance of art programs that are unfortunately often only accessible to wealthy, able-bodied people. At Art-Reach, we bridge this gap by connecting underserved communities with art partners using support from public and private donations.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

By working at Art-Reach, I’ve learned to check my able-bodied privilege and make sure to be more inclusive by keeping in mind the different accommodations one may need. A common but harmful assumption people make is that a “normal” person is able-bodied. There are people with disabilities and they have to face barriers that those without disabilities do not even think about. I felt guilty when I first realized my ignorance, but now I’m learning how I can make things more accessible for everyone.

What is most rewarding about your internship?

The most rewarding part of my internship would be knowing that I have a direct positive role in supporting communities. Sometimes I can go on tours and live out these experiences with our members, but when I can’t I still know that I’ve helped in getting our members to the play or museum when I process the ticket requests from my cubicle.