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Rachel Harrison, Dublin Summer Internship

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The Burren, the coast of Ireland

The Burren, the coast of Ireland

Interned in the marketing department of Gourmet Food Parlour, a small restaurant chain, after freshman year, summer 2015.

Internship: For my internship in Ireland I worked in the marketing department of a company called Gourmet Food Parlour. Gourmet Food Parlour (GFP) is a small restaurant chain in the Dublin area that focuses on fresh, local and sustainable food with a great price point. Working in their head office in the marketing department, I got assigned a variety of tasks, small and large. A daily task I completed was sending out the daily specials menus to all 4 restaurants. With this task, I had to pay attention to detail for spelling and word choice along with marketing these dishes to the best of my ability. A larger task I completed was creating a database of all the local businesses in a certain area that we could target for catering orders. This was a tedious job but could potentially get GFP many more catering clients. There were also fun, creative tasks like designing new bakery tags and posters. No two days were the same in the GFP office.

I Learned: Working at GFP and being able to compare it to my parents local business in Virginia gave me great insight into just how similar small companies are around the world. Every entrepreneur has the same dreams and aspirations for their new company and will work hard until they’re achieved. GFP was just as focused on locally sourced produce and healthy food as my parents’ company is in the US. These similarities might seem obvious, but I was surprised at how much small companies are similar across the world. Living in another country and initially not knowing anyone really makes you depend on yourself and be self-sufficient. I think studying abroad made me grow up even more than moving to Boston did. There was no meal plan, so cooking for yourself, grocery shopping—all those simple tasks that you now have to do in a different country—make you more independent. Also, taking the initiative to research cool destinations and booking flights makes you realize that there are so many opportunities out there to take advantage of.

What Surprised Me: Traveling to Ireland, an English speaking country, I didn’t think there would be much of a culture shock and for the first week that was true. However, as you live in a different country, all the minor things they do differently (driving on the opposite side of the road, the faucet turning in opposite ways, different words for things) really start to surprise you. I was surprised about how much I kept discovering was different and new, but this also made the trip that much more of a great experience

Hardest Part: The hardest part of my experience was the internship. Having just completed freshman year I had never had an internship before, so I didn’t know what to expect much less at an Irish Internship. The commuting was a struggle at times. I worked in Swords which is a little bit away from the DCU dorms, and my commute sometimes took an hour and 15 minutes including all the walking. Prepare for a potentially long commute to work on the public transportation. Also, the Irish workplace runs a little differently, than the American, so prepare for a different work culture (not a bad culture, just different).

Best Part: The people and the relationships I formed were the best part of the trip for me. The best friends I made on this trip were from Villanova, UNC and Williams, so having the opportunity to meet people from different colleges was great. Also the locals that I met at work were so open and friendly and wanted to make sure I was enjoying myself. Ireland is a country full of immigrants, so not only did I meet Irish people but also a lot of the individuals I worked with were from all over the world (Hungary, Spain, Slovakia). Talking to them about their cultures was a great experience.

My Tips: First of all, don’t make the same mistake I made. Get a credit card/debit card that does not charge you $32947392487 in international transaction fees. Remember, it’s Ireland, and the sun might not shine. Pack some sweaters even in the summer. Take advantage of every opportunity. If there’s a group of students traveling someplace, go with them and enjoy your time!

Hidden Gems: 

While you’re in Ireland take some weekend trips to other European destinations (Copenhagen was amazing). Try local coffee shops and local pubs (finally a 19 year old can drink legally!). Dawson St has great restaurants, Harcourt St has fun night life and the Temple Bar area has good local pubs.

Katya Gonzalez-Willette, Washington, D.C. Summer Internship

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Katya outside the White House

Katya outside the White House

Interned in Television Production at the Voice of America and in Marketing at El Mundo al Día, Summer 2015.

I studied abroad during summer ’15 in Washington, D.C. as a part of the Summer Internship Program. During this summer, I interned for both Voice of America and The Dining Traveler. Voice of America (VoA) is a government-funded international news broadcast service that provides objective news to countries throughout the world that may not have access to unbiased news. Throughout my time at VoA, I worked as a production intern with the Spanish service for all of Latin America. I assisted in the production of the live daily news TV show called El Mundo al Día where I created and edited video that was used for each show. I also worked with the food and travel blog, The Dining Traveler, where I managed social media outlets such as Twitter, FaceBook and Instagram and brainstormed with the blog manager on content for her posts.

One major thing that I learned from my summer in D.C. was how to adapt to a new environment. I had never lived in an apartment-style setting on my own before, so I had to learn how to fend for myself, i.e. cook and clean for myself. I also had to adapt to a new social setting by making new friends and putting myself out there—not to mention adjust to a different professional work environment from what I was used to working in before this summer. Another lesson I learned from living and working in D.C. was the importance of time management. Between two internships, taking classes and trying to explore the city as much as possible, it was a very busy summer! The hardest part of the experience was trying to juggle two jobs, classes and my social life. Although it was so exciting to have so many different things going on at one time and to always be busy, I was not used to having so many things on my plate at a time. Once I started to get overwhelmed, I realized that planning things out in advance and starting to work on assignments ahead of time made it a lot easier to balance my time between work and fun.

The one thing that surprised me the most about my time in D.C. was how much fun I would have in the city. I had been to the city once before when I was younger, and I enjoyed it but did not expect it to be as vibrant as it was when I came back this summer. Not only did I enjoy the nightlife and the social aspect of the city, but also I liked the atmosphere at my job, which was exciting and fast-paced, and the rest of D.C. As you walk down the streets, you can feel the energy of those around you, and everyone walks with a purpose, which was not what I expected when I first got there but ended up being one of my favorite parts of the experience.

The best part of my experience was the combination of having two great internships that I really enjoyed and also having so much fun in the city with the friends I made both in and out of the program. I learned so many new things from both of my internships that I used throughout the summer and will continue to use for the rest of life. I built strong connections with my coworkers and other people I met in D.C. that are irreplaceable and had so much fun with these people. Not to mention, the housing within the city was beautiful and the location was great for exploring the city and going out to have some fun during the free time we did get.

My tips for students who are considering the program would be to prepare for a very busy but exciting summer in a uniquely vibrant city. I would also advise that people wait to accept an internship that they think they would actually enjoy. I was lucky enough to accept internships that I really enjoyed but that was not the case for everyone who did the program. Some people accepted the first offer they received because they were worried that they would not be placed anywhere; although that is a legitimate concern, it is more important to accept an offer that fits your potential career paths or interests you have to make sure you can take something valuable away from this experience professionally.

The one somewhat hidden gem that I would say is a must-see are the national monuments at nighttime. It is beautiful to see the monuments during the day and to learn all of the fascinating history of the city, but it is even more spectacular at night! The monuments look even better when they are lit, and the sites are a lot emptier depending on how late you go. Of course, be careful and make sure you go as a group (which makes it even more fun to go with all of your friends and listen to music while taking in the beautiful scenery).

Yi Zeng, Dublin Summer Internship

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IYi_at_GuinnessFactorynterned in marketing at KamaGames, a global game developer and publisher for mobile and social platforms like Xbox, Steam, PlayStation Network, and more in Summer 2015.

Internship: I worked at KamaGames, a global game developer and publisher for mobile and social platforms like Xbox, Steam, PlayStation Network, and more. As the Social Media Intern of the company, I was in charge of monitoring and updating the company’s social media pages (Twitter and Facebook), researching and analyzing competitors’ marketing strategies, and implementing initiatives to increase company exposure and audience engagement. Last year, KamaGames became the Official Social Casino Games Partner of Manchester United Football Club. Because of this, I worked closely with the Club trying to further expand its fan base in the Asian and European markets. One major project that I worked on was a social media contest where the winner would receive a signed Wayne Rooney soccer jersey.

I Learned: Studying abroad allowed me to discover an adventurous and spontaneous side of myself. I was always independent but never the risk-taking type, but my adventure abroad really opened my eyes to a whole new world. I realized how much I like to travel and try new things. From new food and music to new friends and connections, it was truly an unforgettable experience.

I also grew more mature and confident after studying abroad. I realized that life is short and that it is important to live in the moment. I found myself constantly looking for new adventures and wanting to communicate with the locals. Between schoolwork, internship, and traveling, I have learned how to be a more responsible adult.

What Surprised Me: I was surprised by how laid back and down to earth the Irish people were. Living in the U.S. for the majority of my life, I became so accustomed to our busy and fast-paced lifestyle; however, being in Ireland, a country where people embrace a slower lifestyle, allowed me to take a step back, learn about myself and appreciate my surroundings.

Hardest Part: The hardest part of my study abroad experience was leaving Ireland. I honestly had so much fun that I did not want to leave at all. I wish my program were longer because I felt like I needed more time to fully absorb the Irish culture.

Best Part: It is hard to choose the best part of my experience abroad because I loved everything about Ireland. If I had to choose one, I loved how Ireland has the perfect combination of traditional and modern. On one hand, the country has thousands of years of rich history; on the other, it is also one of the most vibrant cities in Europe, comprising of an abundance of young and ambitious people.

My Tips: My best advice is to be open-minded about everything. Always be willing to try new things and take risks because great things don’t come from comfort zones. Don’t knock anything down without trying it first. Also, Ireland is quite an expensive country so make sure you save up!

Hidden Gems: I would recommend that you definitely go to popular tourist attractions such as Howth, Cliffs of Moher, Giant’s Causeway, and Northern Ireland. I would also highly recommend you try out the less well-known restaurants, clubs, and pubs (The Back Page McGowans, Workmens, etc.)