A world of summer internship opportunities are now offered to students participating in the study abroad program at Miami University's Dolibois European Center (MUDEC) in Luxembourg.
Students who take part in the full spring semester-length study abroad program in Luxembourg now have the option to choose to stay for an extension of nine weeks, from May 15 through July 15, during which they complete their internship.
Carli Williams, student activities coordinator for MUDEC, said those who developed the program searched for community partners who were interested in having interns from Miami. Then, profiles of each student and each business were created so students could pick their top three choices of internships and community partners could pick their top three choices of interns. Students were then matched to their positions based on the rankings.
Since this is the first time the program is being offered, the process for applying to the internships is different this year than it will be in the future, Williams said. This time around, students just submitted their resumes and were accepted on the basis that they met the qualifications for the program. In the future, students will directly apply to the internship positions through the community partners, rather than through MUDEC.
Rachel Instone, a junior Marketing major participating in the internship program, said some of the internship positions available for this summer include a tech startup, a vegan restaurant, the United States embassy, a travel magazine and an art studio.
"It was really cool to read about each [internship opportunity] because they were all unique companies and organizations," said Kaitlyn Cooper, a junior International Studies major participating in the program.
Williams hopes students will gain not only valuable internship experience through the program but also cultural competencies that will allow them to return to the United States as better citizens of the world.
"I hope that they can dive into Luxembourgish culture and European culture in general, as Luxembourg is very diverse," Williams said. "I think that's a huge benefit to the program. Almost 50 percent of Luxembourg is made up of non-Luxembourgers, so students will be able to interact with people from all over the world and see new perspectives."
Cooper said she looks forward to immersing herself in the culture and practicing her French.
"The company I'm interning for uses French as one of their main languages, which will help me," Cooper said. "The offices, work habits and the work itself will be different from most internships back home."
Williams said the program was born out of a need for an immersive opportunity such as this one. MUDEC wanted to take advantage of the resources available to them in Luxembourg to give students experiences that will teach them to be competent academically, culturally and professionally.
Students are not required to live with a host family during the internship program, but Williams said many of them will do so anyway, as it is both another opportunity to grow culturally and an affordable option.
"At the very end of the program, all students and community partners will attend a day at MUDEC where students present what they've learned, the results of their projects and how they want to apply this in their future careers and in their future studies," Williams said.
Instone believes the program and the final presentation will help her form the professional skills she needs for her career.
"I am excited to be working for an art studio rather than a more strict corporation, in order to utilize creativity and have fun in the field I have a passion for," Instone said. "It will be a very unique experience that will set me apart as an applicant in the future."