Last Thursday, the faculty of arts hosted its ninth Annual Internship Event with presentations by nine McGill students—all of whom dedicated their time gaining and applying their skills in various unconventional settings this past summer. Held in Leacock 232, the event was attended by students, staff, and internship award donors.

Dean of arts Christopher Manfredi provided an introduction to the speeches. Interns who spoke at the event revealed a great range of experiences—their work locations included India, Hong Kong, and New York, and their areas of study spanned many fields within the faculty of arts. Between speeches, a short slideshow presentation informed arts students of the internship application and scholarship process, as well of the various resources available to them online.

Karina Perez Jvostova, U3 arts student, spent three months in Panama City. There, she interned with the United Nations World Food Program. Jvostova worked for the Unit of Information and Knowledge Management on a project organizing its online library.

Throughout the three-month span of her internship, Jvostova was able to recognize the significance of her work, as well as the impact it had on the project.

“People there acknowledged your work, [as well as] how important you were for them,” Jvostova said.

A little closer to home, U3 student Emma Stanton spent her time working with Pueblito Canada, a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Toronto, Ontario.

“For over 35 years, Pueblito has been helping the children of Latin America by strengthening communities, safe-guarding rights, and providing the essentials for education, nutrition, and health,” the organization says on their website.

Stanton’s internship was extended from three months to four, and within that time she had direct access to the NGO’s board of directors—a privilege normally exclusive to board members.

“One of the board members—I think he was one of the former presidents of the board—asked me to attend a meeting [and] to observe the conversation about changing funding models in Canada,” Stanton said. “That was … my memorable moment.”

The interns’ presentations were followed by a reception, where attendees were given an opportunity to speak directly with past interns and ask them questions. Audrey Rooney, U1 environment, attended the event with the hope of learning more about the internship options available, and the logistics of the application process.

“It was [informative] in terms of examples of what we can do,” Rooney said. “[It lacked information] in terms of how to apply, but I guess that’s [available] on the website.”

Rooney said that attending the event has kept her interested in applying for an internship in a foreign country in the near future.

Jvostova, who was enthusiastic about her experience, encouraged students not to be shy about applying.

“A lot of people were scared about applying because of [language] skills,” Jvostova said. “[In my case], it wasn’t that important since [I was] working with the UN.”

With regards to the application process, Jvostova asserted that it is not complicated.

Stanton also offered some advice to prospective interns.

“Sit down for an hour and think about what you’re truly interested in,” she said. “[In the past] I have had friends who got jobs in what they think they wanted to do, and did not enjoy themselves. Stick to what you truly want to do—not because it’s a resumé builder, but because you’re into it.”