Hey everyone! I hope that you all have been having a great summer and had a great start to the month of August! On July 20th I returned home to the US from my International Internship Program in Madrid, Spain. This eight-week program was the highlight of my summer and an experience that changed my life. Having the opportunity to work a full-time internship in a unique culture and practice my Spanish was challenging, but rewarding and something I am excited to discuss with recruiters and employers in Pittsburgh when I return to school later this month.
Before I left for Madrid I was lucky enough to receive a donation from the Zamorano family to help pay for my program. I want to thank them for their generosity and for helping to make this program possible. In honor of them, I want to give a little summary of my time in Spain during those two months. Much of my program was spent at my internship. I interned at a language school named Expanish with their study abroad office. As a study abroad intern, I researched study abroad offices at universities and colleges in the United States to try and find faculty-led programs that could potentially lead trips through Expanish to Madrid or one of their other locations throughout Spain and Argentina. At my internship I also accompanied a university group from the US on their cultural activities and tours to take photos and videos of them, where I then created a video that eventually will go to their university to promote their next trip with Expanish. Outside of my internship, I also took trips to the cities of Cuenca, Valencia, Ávila, Segovia, Barcelona, and Málaga to explore more of Spain and take advantage of their beautiful weather and climate.
Throughout my IIP in Madrid I noticed myself grow in personal, academic, and professional ways. To begin, I will discuss my personal growth. One way I grew personally in Madrid was how I view the world, especially with respect to history. During a conversation with a local, we were discussing history, one of my favorite subjects when I was in high school. He asked me to tell him what I knew about European history and after doing so, he told me that I knew nothing. During my time in Spain, I learned a lot about Spanish history and noticed I view the US differently. Growing up in America, I thought that the US was the center of the world. After touring Spain and seeing statues and buildings that are older than our country, however, I no longer believe this, as there were many prospering nations in the world before the US won their independence.
The second area I noticed myself growing was academically. One way I grew academically was by learning more about studying abroad. Researching over 550 different study abroad offices in the US taught me about diverse types of programs schools offer, from traditional exchange programs to international internships, which I thought was unique at Pitt! Another way I grew academically was by taking Spanish courses in Madrid. Because I interned at a language school, my company offered me the opportunity to take free evening Spanish classes to improve my skills, especially with listening and comprehension. These classes helped me improve my Spanish and I believe will help me in my future classes here at Pitt, as I am doing a Spanish minor.
The third and final area I grew in during my IIP in Madrid was professionally. One way I grew professionally was through communication. During my internship I learned how important it is to be a good communicator, whether it was finishing a task or asking for clarity about a project. Effective communication helps to build trust and improve relationships with superiors and coworkers. Another way I grew professionally was when to ask questions. Before working an internship, I always heard people say they are busy at work, but never understood what that meant. After interning full time, I learned how valuable time is during the workday. Because of this, I tried to figure out any problem only on my own first and then if I was stuck I asked my supervisor. I also tried to ask questions during my research that were suggestions; for example, “Do you think it would be good if we added this. . .?,” as these could help improve the work for the next intern and increase its efficiency.
I think the main takeaways from my program are to be likable, a good communicator, and open-minded. Nobody likes working with someone who is difficult to work with or rude and being likable and positive, especially when work gets stressful or difficult, can go a long way when working on a team. As I discussed earlier, excellent communication helps to build trust and strengthen relationships between superiors and co-workers. Open-mindedness is helpful for professional settings because it helps to bring different perspectives to tasks and problems and helps groups to make the best possible decision. I can take these takeaways to Pitt when working on class projects with other students or when I am leading in my Christian organization, Chi Alpha, to optimize our tasks and strengthen the relationships with my peers. Along with this, I can use these to advance my career in the future, as when looking for referrals or favors people will be more likely to help those they had positive interactions with over those that were negative or hard to work with.
