Virtual Presentations

This past summer I interned at the Congressional Office for International Leadership (previously known as the Open World Leadership Center). This office organizes opportunities for politicians and experts from various fields from Eastern Europe and Central Asia to interact with their American counterparts and members of Congress.

I assisted the office in organizing programs for the delegates and prepared reports on important issues. Some of my favorite programs focused on corruption, renewable energy and veterans. I met many alumni of the Open World program and learned how their experience in the U.S. as delegates affected their work and professional development. Part of my responsibilities included attending events held by other organizations on recent research about the region the Congressional Office for International Leadership works with and producing summaries for the staff. I conducted research on the recent elections in Moldova, Armenia and Bulgaria which helped the staff of the office be more informed about the internal political situation of these countries when interacting with delegates and when preparing future programs.

Throughout the experience, I learned about the history and ecology of the environment that I grew up in, and I had the opportunity to teach other locals and visitors about our environment. I assisted with the summer camp program, school groups, and family camps. I also shadowed and led public programs on the weekends, including guided hikes and muckraking events. In teaching the material, I also expanded my environmental knowledge and strengthened what I had already known by explaining it to others. While exploring the hiking trails, I observed and learned about many native wildlife species that I didn’t even know were present in the Poconos, including red eft newts, weasels, and beavers. This experience taught me many specific ecological facts that complement the larger concepts we cover in courses at F&M. Additionally, I gained skills for teaching the public about complex ideas as well as working with children of many ages. I hope that I was able to instill a love of the environment and the knowledge to take care of it for the visitors. I largely owe this opportunity to the generous Schapiro-Cadwell Internship Endowment given by Mary L. Schapiro, Esq. and Charles A. Cadwell, and I’m sincerely grateful for their gift.

This summer, I worked as a Research Assistant in the Clinical Psychology Lab at Fulbright University Vietnam. I worked on expanding a multi-national research project on how COVID-19 affects family relationships in Vietnam. I engaged in the research project since the beginning phase, and I have gained lots of valuable experiences.

This summer, I worked as a live-in intern at Magical Creatures of Hamakua, in Laupahoehoe, Hawaii. Magical Creatures of Hamakua is a non-profit that rescues, rehabilitates, and provides life-long care to animals found on the Big Island. While I was there, I oversaw the management of eighty animals, ranging from goats, pigs, sheep, cows, chickens, and cats. During my experience, I saw the intake of five new animals: two cats, two sheep, and a calf born on the property, with one of these being paralyzed from the waist down and one with a heart condition. While there, I learned all about how prosthetics and wheelchairs can aid not only in greater mobility, but social skills in animals. I chose Magical Creatures because it was an internship that allowed me to learn the new skills of wildlife rehabilitation. I want to pursue a career in this post-graduation, and this was my last opportunity to learn before my graduation in December.

My daily assignments were divided into feeding, cleaning, and babysitting shifts. As a live-in intern, we worked full time with two days off a week, and had access to the company car one day a week. With this one day off, we would go off in pairs and explore the island and continue to expand our knowledge of Hawaiian culture and environmental practices. This allowed me to look beyond what I may have learned in my Environmental Studies classes. While being there, I got the opportunity to meet many other students from around the continental United States, in addition to several native Hawaiians. I made so many strong connections, specifically with Mia, a local Hawaiian student that was a live-in intern as well. Working with her created a greater understanding of Hawaiian practices, and assisted us in having a healthy relationship with exploring Hawaii, especially during the pandemic.