The global internship program at the university has long existed to provide students a path to earn academic credit toward their degree while immersing themselves in a new culture, acquiring skills, attaining personal growth, and exploring possible career paths.

Deja Williams (BA journalism and mass communication ’20) reflects on the importance of her global internship in London—an experience that expanded her worldview and opened new doors to professional opportunities, including her current role as public relations coordinator at Cashmere Agency.

My CEA Virtual Global Internship in Dublin, Ireland, has helped me discover things I didn’t know I was capable of doing.

As much as I wonder what it would be like working an in-person internship, I have found many benefits of working virtually.

University of Iowa student Brianna Bentler is a CEA MOJO Blogger and a Virtual Global Intern for an organization in Dublin, Ireland, during the Summer 2021 term. 

Linette Leng, UI undergraduate student pursuing a BA with a double-major in Spanish and interdepartmental studies, isn’t letting the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on her aspiration to gain relevant, global experience in the form of an international internship. Leng is currently completing a virtual internship at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Reggio Emilia, Italy, through USAC. We caught up with Leng to learn more about her experience.

University of Iowa students aren’t letting the current Covid-19 pandemic put a damper on their aspirations to gain relevant, global experience in the form of international internships. While international travel is on hold at the moment, alternatives exist in the form of virtual internships—experiences that offer many of the same aspects of a traditional in-person internship such as interacting with supervisors and colleagues, completing projects, and learning about the host country’s work culture. An added benefit of the virtual internship format is the opportunity for students to gain remote working skills—important to the new reality many professionals face today.