Profiles
Michelle Lee
International Studies major Michelle Lee spent two weeks this spring in Jordan with the People to People International Peace Camp. We talked with Michelle about how she found this unique opportunity and what she learned from her trip abroad.
Tell us about your trip to Jordan. What was the purpose of your trip and who did you go with?
I traveled to Jordan for two weeks with People to People International, which was created by Dwight D. Eisenhower. His granddaughter, Mary Eisenhower, now runs the organization. She created Peace Camp in 2004 to create a safe place where young adults could come together; she wanted students with different nationalities and views together to share and teach one another to respect differences across cultures. The entire mission of People to People International is “Peace through Understanding.” This mission is important because it teaches us that respect is one of the most important ways to promote peace. We need to learn more about other cultures, and Peace Camp gives you an opportunity to put a friendly face rather than a stereotype on citizens from all over the world.
On this trip, there were a total of 48 students from 27 different countries, including the United States, Israel, Palestinian Territories, Armenia, Croatia, Lithuania, Colombia, Egypt, Vietnam, Kosovo, Georgia, Bahrain, Russian Federation, Hong Kong, Germany, Uganda, Malawi, Netherland Antilles – Curacao, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Malaysia, Serbia, South Africa, Jordan, Bulgaria, and Mexico. The itinerary included visiting amazing sites such as Petra and the Dead Sea, spending time at the Jofeh Community Rehabilitation Center, planting trees in Jordan representing coexistence, and much more. We focused throughout on the group mission and the friendships being formed between people regardless of where we were from.
How did you find out about this opportunity? What was the application process like?
I found out about this opportunity through People to People International, which I have been involved with for the last seven years. Peace Camp has been a goal of mine for a long time; it is a full scholarship, so it is very competitive and really a once in a lifetime opportunity. The application process included teacher recommendations, transcripts, and questions for the applicants. I think the most important factor they looked for was international experience. Also, they seemed to be looking for people who were themselves, opinionated but still able to respect others’ views. This was important because, for example, if I meet someone from Curacao, she may be the only person I ever meet from Curacao, so my views of that country may depend a lot on this representative. We had to have the ability to represent our country and community.
What did you learn from this experience? What were the most important things you gained?
I am so glad this opportunity came my way because I learned so much from the 47 other attendees – more than I could ever explain or ask for. They were unique and brilliant individuals. Everyone was eager to learn about other cultures, ask questions, and discuss things from government situations to what we did on an everyday basis. The beauty was in the instant friendships. To be completely honest, although cliché, we all just got along regardless of where we came from. Friendships formed between young adults from Russia and Georgia, Kosovo and Serbia, Israel and Palestine. If they can do that, why can’t we all?
How did this experience coincide with or change your academic and/or career goals?
This experience was a unique way to refresh my passion for International Studies. I crave new things and new learning experiences. It was great to get out of a classroom setting and learn firsthand about history, people, and cultures. The other 47 people I met on this trip opened 47 other doors for me. The doors lead to either other educational or humanitarian experiences. I want to give back to the world what Peace Camp gave to me; hopefully the International Studies major will help prepare me for that work.
Jennifer Lickteig
Photo by Jennifer Lickteig
Jennifer Lickteig
International Studies senior Jennifer Lickteig has taken on five different internships during her college years. We talked with her about these experiences and how they changed and shaped her career goals and prepared her to pursue work she is passionate about!
Major: International Studies and Journalism, Minor in Political Science, International Business Certificate
Internships and Work Experiences:
- International Centre for Migration and Health (ICMH), Geneva, Switzerland
- Iowa City Foreign Relations Council/Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities (ICFRC/CIVIC), Iowa City, IA
- Voice of America (VOA), Near East and Central Asia Division, Washington, DC
- The Daily Iowan, Iowa City, IA
- The Storm Lake Times, Storm Lake, IA
Why did you decide to complete multiple internships? How have your career goals changed as a result of your internship experiences?
All of these experiences are tied to a possible future career I could see myself doing—which changed along the way. I used to want to be a journalist, but discovered through actually being a journalist that it might not be the right career for me. While working at The Storm Lake Times and the Daily Iowan, I learned many of the important aspects of newspaper journalism as well as how to interact in a professional environment. It was at VOA that I discovered the lack of interest I had learning how to be a journalist, and the extreme interest I had in the stories being delivered and the lives of the journalists themselves. With this in mind, my internship at ICFRC/CIVIC gave me the chance to hear speakers on international issues, meet some of the international visitors, and learn about how a grassroots non-profit functions. Finally, at ICMH, I was able to combine these experiences to better work in a multicultural environment in a foreign country. I honed my French and Spanish skills and discovered that I like doing research and love to write, and I now want to work on foreign policy and international relations.
Many students are unsure where they can find information on internships. How did you find out about all these different opportunities?
The most effective thing I've found is to look on the website of the places I want to work for in the future—most all places have an "intern" area under "employment" or "about us" on their websites. Otherwise organizations like the Washington Center are a great help, and asking round helps a lot—asking professors, previous internship advisors, professionals, etc. In my specific cases:
- ICMH: found through a coordinator at Kent State in my study abroad program
- ICFRC/CIVIC: found on campus; I met the executive director and asked how I could help out
- VOA: an internship through The Washington Center, which is arranged through the Pomerantz Career Center
- The Daily Iowan: found on campus
- The Storm Lake Times: this is one of my hometown newspapers. I decided to do something with my summer besides working at a local restaurant, so I called the editors, set up a meeting about a summer internship, and I was hired.
Were you ever asked to complete a task that you had no idea how to complete or even where to start? How did you handle it?
In my first day at the Storm Lake Times, I was told to go to a County Board of Supervisors meeting and write an article about it. I didn’t know at all what the Board of Supervisors even did in their meetings or how to cover a story for a newspaper, but luckily I was guided by a fellow writer for the paper and the editor when I came back to the newsroom with a bunch of notes that didn’t really make sense. After some hard work and fact-checking and patience from the editor, I came out with a story in print the next day that was accurate. It was extremely stressful, but now I know how I learn best—by just getting thrown into the mix.
Do you have any advice for other students who are thinking about an internship?
Definitely go for it—you will learn so much. I think there are things you find out in internships that you can never understand from classes alone. Not only about the field, but also about yourself—what you like and don’t like doing, what you are good at, how you interact with different types of people.
If you do decide to pursue an internship, try to find something very close to what you are thinking about doing in the future. Don’t be afraid to ask around to different places—they may not have an open spot, but may know of other similar organizations that are open to interns.
Be prepared before every internship—know everything there is to know about the organization and have relevant questions and ideas to bring to the table.
Always be willing to do administrative tasks and classic “intern” stuff, but ask for more jobs than just getting coffee. You are there for a reason, so make it worth it. Plus many professionals are pleasantly surprised when interns ask for more work.
Finally, work hard and be polite while you are there, because the job you do reflects on more than just you—it reflects on your university, the program you may have used to get there, and even sometimes your state in general. The people you work with may also be valuable contacts in the future—either with references or in finding job opportunities.
Share Your Story!
International Studies students and graduates are doing amazing things! Our students and alumni are interning and working all over the world in diverse and growing sectors such as business, government, international development, non-governmental organizations, philanthropy and the arts. Whether working far away or strengthening their home communities, our students and graduates have exciting stories to share.
We are always excited to hear about what our students are doing. If you have an interesting story or experience you'd be willing to share, we'd love to hear all about it! Please contact Natasha Wilson Boland at natasha-boland@uiowa.edu to share about what you've been up to or to be considered for a profile on our site.