IE3 Global Internships

Diana Cardona is a Human Development and Family Sciences Major at Oregon State. She recently completed her internship with the Community Center in Argentina through IE3 Global Internships during the Summer 2012 term.

Although there were ups and downs, my experiences in Argentina have tremendously impacted my life. I have made personal and professional growth in the Engranajes association. I made many new bonds and felt like I left friends and family behind when returning home. I left with Argentina in my heart. My internship was an unforgettable experience and I am able to carry the lessons from my travels into my daily life.

Argentina is a country full of wealth. They are rich in art, and when I say art, I mean many things: art is found in their paintings, music, poems, writing, conversations, and politics. I am very happy that Argentina preserves their culture, traditions, and values. So many things I did in this country revolved around politics and I am glad I was able to see how important politics are in our lives. I have become more familiar with the political system and I want my voice to be heard. I know it is important to stand up for others and to especially speak out for children in difficult situations.

I learned that music allows us to fly, play, and grow, but more importantly it lets us be different from one another. In learning this, I decided to share some of my Mexican and American culture with Argentina. I learned that we are more similar than I previously thought. I learned that family is not only made up of people with whom we share DNA, but also those friends that you choose to trust. I especially felt this way about the family that shared with me their space, love, and culture. They opened my eyes to the value of living simply and respecting what you have. My conscience over politics and culture grew enormously.

The experiences with the children from the barrios taught me that children are pure joy, our future, and our present. It is important to stand up for them. I noticed that our presence made a difference in their lives. I realize that we are very privileged to live in North America and we are a country filled with opportunities. I changed my way of thinking. I opened my eyes to see that the most important thing in life is love. My family has now grown to include Argentina, Mexico and the United States.

Connie Lee is a senior at Oregon State University, majoring in Microbiology with a minor in Chemistry. Connie interned abroad at the Center for Social Medicine in India through IE3 Global Internships.

As I learn more about microorganisms, my interest in the medical field grew. The medical field can be broadly divided into two fields: clinical work or research work. I have researched in a laboratory setting as well as volunteered in a hospital. However, I have not been able to experience clinical work with doctors in order to gain a true feeling of what doctors do. Besides my background knowledge of medicine from science courses, I grew an interest in learning about cultural differences from my anthropology classes. Thus, in summer 2012, I participated in the public health and medical internship at Center for Social Medicine in Loni, India.

This internship was a great opportunity for me to experience the public health and medical fields in a completely different cultural setting. I participated in a huge variety of interesting programs, such as social programs for sex workers and mobile clinic services. However, the most life-changing experience occurred at the operation theaters, particularly the posting at the maternity ward.

To say the least, the experience at the maternity ward was very intense. I was already anxious about observing my first delivery. Half way through the delivery, I started to feel nauseous and dizzy to the point where I left the labor ward. However, I challenged myself to go back into the labor room and finish observing the entire birthing process. It was self-rewarding to return to the labor ward, because at that moment I grew personally.

The environment setting is very different for pregnant women in India compared to the United States. I noticed that the maternity ward was a lot more crowded, the resources were very limited, the deliveries were usually rushed due to the number of patients, and women did not normally receive individualized care during the actual labor. Ultimately, the standards in both of these countries are on completely different scales. However, I learned to respect that, although the delivery environment is very different through an outsiders’ lens, the system works for the local villagers. The services are provided with no charge to the patients, and babies are still born healthy. Although there are many differences, some even shocking, between the two medical systems, both strive for the same goal of providing health care to people in need.

Last but not least, my experience in the operation theater helped me confirm my interests in surgery medicine. I observed a variety of surgeries including, but not limited to, cataract surgeries, joint/hip replacements, medical termination of pregnancy, open/laparoscopic tubal ligations, kidney obstruction, hysterectomies and more. The experience was very eye-opening as I could never receive the same opportunity in the United States.

I enjoyed the environment in the operation theaters. It is a place where all doctors and anesthesiologist work together to help solve a patient’s problem. I saw how the surgeons work to find a solution, and their quick reactions to find alternative methods if the original method did not work. I found a passion for the human body; the human body consists of both delicate (eyes) and strong (bones) parts. Every part of the body works in harmony to allow an individual to function.

Alfonc Rakaj is a senior at Oregon State University, majoring in Political Science and International Studies. Alfonc interned for the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland through IE3 Global Internships.

During spring ’12, I interned at the Scottish Parliament located in Edinburgh, Scotland. Although, I was only there for ten weeks, the amount of learning, self-discovery and experience complimented my studies and enriched my perspective of the world, which lead to a profound level of self-formation. An internship like the one at the Scottish Parliament is truly a learning process, whose essence can only be attained through experience.

Even though I was born and raised in Albania, the experience furthered my understanding of multiculturalism. What I have come to adopt as normal for Albanian culture and the American culture, which has become my own to a certain degree as well, was put to the test. While Scotland shared similar cultural attributes to other European countries and the United States, it was fascinating to discover how Scotland was very unique in its own way.

As an intern, I participated in various activities: exit polling in suburbs of Glasgow, (yes, there were times when I couldn’t understand a word they were saying), parliamentary sessions, meetings with various parliamentary committees and receptions. Also, I worked on some very interesting legislative topics. I conducted research on various topics from the history of the Sikh to complex topics, such as the regulations of the European Union on the licensing of Notified Bodies, who are responsible for conducting conformity assessments, directly linked to the products used for plastic surgeries. At other times, I read submissions of interest groups on specific pieces of legislation that was being considered, particularly health care reform. It was vital to stay informed about current events.

Overall, the research allowed me to better understand Scotland’s culture. The process helped me connect with the office staff that I was working with. I was struck by the sincerity and dedication they work with to represent the interests of the residents in Scotland. I found this particularly useful as I have encountered a multiple situations where people have prejudged me based on my field of interest. I now have personal evidence that there are good politicians in this world. The international internship not only encouraged my carrier goals to become a politician, but also revived my passion of why I originally wanted to be one.

The Scottish Parliament internship is unique in the opportunities it provides for professional and personal growth. It compliments one’s studies, while furthering one’s knowledge about the world around us and most importantly ourselves. As it was the case when I came to the United States from Albania, I grew to appreciate Oregon State and Corvallis more due to the distance. While costs, rightfully, may make a student hesitant to go abroad, it is important to remember that it is through traveling and experiences, such as an internship, that we become richer.

Denise Risdon is a senior at Oregon State University, studying Anthropology and History. Currently, Denise is interning for Heritage Malta in Malta through IE₃ Global Internships for six months. Below, Denise provides an update of her time abroad. (This blog was originally posted on the IE3 Field Note page).

After having some time to settle in to my host country of Malta, I have absolutely fallen in love with it. This little island is truly a hidden gem in the Mediterranean. The beauty can be found everywhere in this country, especially in the people, the architecture, the gardens and harbors. The capital city of Valletta is like an open air museum, full of history at every corner. It is this history that has brought me to Malta. I am interning with Heritage Malta, the National Agency for cultural heritage. I am placed at the National Archaeological Museum which is situated right in Valletta. At the museum, I am working in the section for Phoenician, Roman and Medieval archaeology and I could not ask for better curators in this department.

The work I have been doing is interesting. Before I learned of this internship, I must admit that I had little knowledge of this tiny little island and since my arrival I have basically had a giant history lesson on the entire country. The most exciting project I have been working on has been excavating the Roman Baths at Ghajn Tuffieha, which is located on the western side of the country next to two of Malta’s nicest beaches. This site is presumed to be dated from 50 – 100 AD and it was discovered in about 1929.

The site has been closed to the public due to the excavations going on. I feel enormously privileged to be working on a site like this. I have had the opportunity to take part in preserving history for future generations. The site consists of a number of rooms and many of them contained intricate geometrical patterned floor tiles made of marbles and stone. Sadly, the site is in pretty bad shape, and needs serious work, but I am proud to be a part of this project.

I never thought that I would actually be able to work doing my dream job, but here I am, on the other side of the world, loving every moment of my adventure. Unlike most interns, I will be staying here in Malta for six months and I will be able to really see what life is like in this amazing little place. I will be able to dive deeper into this culture and embrace it. I await any opportunity that comes my way with an open mind and a smile.

Elizabeth Ragan is a senior at Oregon State University. She is pursuing a degree in Public Health and Anthropology with a minor in French. Elizabeth recently returned from Kampala, Uganda, where she interned for Prometra Uganda through IE3: Global Internships. Below is a reflection summary from her blog.

My final day in the village. Waving goodbye as the last truck of traditional healers rounds the corner of the dirt road and disappears out of sight. I know that they’re going home, and I’m going home too. But I’m struggling, because I can’t help but feel like I’m going home and leaving home all at the same time.

As the sun dips below the surrounding hills, I set off down the road, needing to walk, needing to think and clear my head. All of my senses are magnified, like I’m trying to absorb every final memory with bound determination. The sounds of the night seem to keep time with the rhythm of my breath and the pounding of my heart, my heart which is in a silent struggle between happiness and sadness.

Making my way through the airport. Some internal instinct or motor memory instructs me through the motions, but I feel like a stranger in my own body, like I’m observing myself from a distance. Security checks, customs, gate transfers, coffee shops, loudspeaker announcements, the whirring sound of suitcase wheels on hard floors, small talk and strangers. I’m in a transition between worlds and I can’t help but feeling sickened at just how easily I’m slipping right back into it, all of the excess, the naivety, the ignorance. People living in their comfortable bubbles, happily ignoring the world around them. The population around me has changed so dramatically in the past 24 hours, from the morning I left Kampala on my way to Entebbe to where I sit now in Heathrow.

3am, laying in my bed at my parents’ home, staring at the ceiling. It’s not just the 10-hour time change and jet lag that is keeping my mind awake. The middle of the night and I have become familiar companions over the course of the summer, my mind busily milling over all of the experiences that I had, trying to make sense of it all. The one thing I simply can’t get myself past is the disparity and the blatant ignorance. How great the divide is between being concerned about when you’re going to get the new iPhone 4, that new pair of leather boots, or new dining room furniture, and the fear of not being able to feed your family or losing yet another child from a preventable cause.

We’re brought up in a fast-paced world. Our society has taught us to be concerned with what’s in front of us, and I’ve found that you have to work hard to learn about the problems of low-income nations. I force myself to remember all of the problems that Americans do face, like recession, unemployment, unaffordable health care, declining social services, rising costs of higher education – all serious problems that leave people powerless. But then I take these things and line them up to the concerns of people in Uganda, like infectious disease, hunger, clothing, drought, shelter, clean water, primary education. I believe that it’s our responsibility to be a world citizen and to treat everybody as human and to fight for their basic rights. We must become critical of ourselves and the lifestyles that we lead, accepting that our actions and decisions have ramifications that will trickle down far beyond our perceived reality.

Coming to a country like Uganda does something powerful to you. It is indeed a rare opportunity, one that many people will either never get the chance to take, or may decide not to take out of fear or apprehension. But there is great potential in taking such a step. If you allow it, Uganda will lay bare to you all of your weakness, misconceptions, ethnocentricities, and the blinders that America and all of the comforts of home have been allowing you to wear your whole life. Then you will be given an option, approach a crossroads of sorts. Do you stay on the same path that you have been walking along up until this point, knowing that you are ignoring what your eyes have been opened to about the world, or do you change your direction and become a person that has a deeper understanding that in this world, we are all human, and we are all connected. Travel the world, learn about the struggles of the people, and as a consequence, learn about yourself.

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” – Nelson Mandela

Marissa Uriarte interned for Center for Social Medicine in Loni, India, through IE3 Global Internships in Summer ’12. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health with an option in Health Promotion and Health Behavior, and a minor in German. She is now working as an International Ambassador for the office of International Degree and Education Abroad (IDEA).

During my internship, I had the chance to work in a wide range of projects that focused on medical care, public health and social development in the rural and tribal areas of Maharashtra. Before I go more into depth about my work at Center For Social Medicine I wanted to note that I cannot sum up India in a single story. India is filled with a life full of color from the saris women wear to the the paints on the animals during a holiday. It is filled with noises from the people bargaining at the market to the honking on the streets, and it is filled with smells from the food cooking on the sidewalks.

However, I can tell you that interning abroad challenged every aspect of who I am; it revealed not only my strengths and weaknesses, but questioned my knowledge and beliefs. I met heart-warming people that I will keep dear to my heart and learned that life is precious and we all need a helping hand.

There are an infinite amount of memories I will hold, but I would place working with the staff at the Mobile Clinic in one of my favorite. Here, I visited a daycare center for children under the age of five years old. I assisted the pediatrician in charting their growth development to prevent malnutrition. Also, I performed regular health check-ups for pregnant women, which consists of finding the position of the fetus, measuring the fetus length, listening to the fetal heart beat and checking the women’s health status.

The Mobile Clinic was very impressive, because the doctors and nurses went to the people. It addressed the transportation barrier and really emphasized that the patient’s health is their number one priority.

I had the chance to do and see things that people only see on TV. And I don’t believe this is an exaggeration. The culture and atmosphere is new and enriching; it’s completely different from anything I have ever experienced.

The Center for Social Medicine truly offers unmatched opportunities for international interns. I was able to use the knowledge and skills I acquired at Oregon State University, as well as build new skills that will contribute to my professional aspirations as an international public health nurse.

I want to stress that I would not have acquired this chance to intern abroad without the support from the staff at International Programs Department and the scholarships I received, such as the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship and the Nicodemus Scholarship. I believe that anything is possible if you are proactive in your career aspirations.

Samantha Pride interned in Costa Rica through IE3 Global Internships in Summer 2008. She graduated from OSU with a B.A. in Sociology and International Studies in Spring 2009 and since then, she’s been working in Philadelphia through the City Year program.

One of the reasons I chose to participate in the City Year program was because I liked the idea of working on a team in a community and school for positive change. Working with youth was something I’ve never done so I saw that as a challenge. Also, it was a great opportunity for leadership in project and event planning.

The challenges of the program included working on a diverse team in an underperforming, underfunded and persistently dangerous high school with a 36% graduation rate within a school district that has been struggling for decades to make audacious and sound changes without consistent leadership. As a mentor and tutor it was my business to not only make sure teenagers understand the material in class, but also to know and discuss their difficult home situations. I found myself doing all the little things such as help with homework, work resumes, calling the doctor, talking to teachers, etc. It tore my heart apart along with the rest of my team to see the challenges students faced.

However, gratification eventually comes. “Joys” and “Ripples” as City Year calls them are shared at the end of day, and could be something like a student pulled their grades up, avoided a fight or had made enough progress on their senior project to be back on track for graduation. At the end of the year my team went to see our seniors graduate, which many were the first in their family. It was a huge relief to see these students succeed.

My IE3 internship in San Jose, Costa Rica was at a small non profit organization working on social justice issues. The skills I learned there were very helpful with the City Year program. Being flexible was something I cultivated in San Jose, and that same comfort with constant change is necessary at my school. The Latino population there was 50% making my language skills from Costa Rica extremely useful. Additionally, while in San Jose, I worked with other interns from different areas of the United States. Working on projects together we learned how to use each other’s strengths to complete assignments. At City Year with a bigger and more diverse team, I continued to learn the importance of listening and consensus building.

Moving into my second year in City Year, I will now be responsible for eight people and their service in a school. My goal this year and something that I would encourage others to reach for is creating a welcoming environment wherever you work, and setting high expectations for yourself and your team. Even if your goals seem impossible, I can say that after every time that I doubted myself, or my team, I felt silly because we always pulled off events and difficult situations.

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Tag Archives: IE3 Global Internships

Chau Chau Argentina

A Mishap in the Maternity Ward

From Albania to Corvallis…to Scottish Parliament

IE3: The Hidden Gem of the Mediterranean

A Summer in Uganda

In Depth in India

Transferring Skills from Costa Rica to Philadelphia

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