July 30, 2015
by Diana Campeggio
Comments Off on A Postcard From: Alizeh Amer ’16

A Postcard From: Alizeh Amer ’16

Name: Alizeh Amer

Class Year: 2016

Internship Placement: I’m a a grantmaking intern at the Global Fund for Children in Washington, DC. I’m working on measuring the impact of GFC’s organizational development and capacity building grants and value added services for its grantee partners.

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

I am spending my summer working at the Global Fund for Children (GFC), an international development organization based in Washington, DC. I had the opportunity to learn about this innovative model of philanthropy which gives small grants to community based grassroots organizations in hard to reach places serving vulnerable and invisible children within their communities. The main focus is on building their organizational capacity to ensure their sustainability after exiting GFC funding and leveraging them to bigger funders. Along with working on interesting projects, GFC has arranged intern exchanges to give us a chance to meet and learn about other interns and organizations in the area. Besides work, I am also enjoying exploring DC and all the city has to offer over the summer!

Ricardo Calçado, founder of GFC grantee partner ONDA SOLIDÁRIA in Brazil meets GFC staff members.

How I heard about my internship:

A few of my friends had interned at GFC before through the Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center internships. I heard about their experiences in the Bryn Mawr and Beyond workshop last fall and it seemed like a perfect fit for my interests.

Why I applied for my internship:

Being interested in the field of international development, I have had a range of experiences working directly with affected communities in Pakistan and Ghana. This summer I wanted to explore a different aspect of the development world, fundraising and grantmaking, while building upon the knowledge and skills acquired through my academic studies.

July 30, 2015
by Diana Campeggio
Comments Off on A Postcard From: Airen McClure ’16

A Postcard From: Airen McClure ’16

Name: Airen McClure

Class Year: 2016

Pronouns: He/his/him

Internship Placement: This summer I am interning at GALAEI, a Queer Latin@ Social Justice Organization in Philadelphia. GALAEI has three main programs: HIV testing, a youth program, and the Trans-Health Information Project (TIP). While I have really enjoyed getting to work with all three programs, I have also gotten to do some more focused work with TIP. TIP is the only peer-based organization in the city for trans people and run entirely by trans people. TIP counselors specialize in sexual health and HIV risk reduction counseling, résumé and employment coaching, assistance with legal name and gender marker changes, access to safe hormones and trans affirming medical care, and trans sensitive housing/shelter referrals. The TIP counselors also work as advocates for the trans community with the Police Department and Prison System.

What’s going on? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

Since GALAEI is small organization, I have had the amazing opportunity of trying my hand at many different things. I have been able to apply my background in fine arts by creating a banner with our new logo and designing buttons with phrases such as “Ask my pronouns” and “Queer is FABULOUS” to hand out at events. I have also gotten to expand my writing and communication skills by creating a pamphlet explaining TIP’s services and a newsletter detailing GALAEI’s recent events. On the more academic side of things, I have had the pleasure of researching Queer and Trans activists and writing short descriptions of their work. It’s been really fantastic to expand my knowledge of Queer history and the work that activists, especially Latina trans women, are doing now. Another major aspect of my work has been outreach, such as tabling as various events and making connections in the neighborhood. I have also really enjoyed working with the youth and participating in events with them, such the 20th Alternative Prom and the Annual Reminders Day reenactment. A very pleasant surprise this summer has been GALAEI’s adoption of an office cat. A little over a month ago a little orange kitten walked into our office and decided she was home. We named her Justice and she’s been part of the family ever since.

Why I applied for my internship:

After graduation I am hoping to work with an LGBTQ non-profit in Philadelphia so this internship is the perfect test run and learning opportunity. I have learned so much about the LGBTQ non-profit sector in Philadelphia and the types of work that are being done. I have also made invaluable connections to leaders in the Queer and Trans communities.

July 30, 2015
by Diana Campeggio
Comments Off on A Postcard From: Medoza Ameen ’16

A Postcard From: Medoza Ameen ’16

Name: Medoza Ameen

Class Year: 2016

Internship Placement: The non-profit, Learning Journey in China, aims to teach English to Chinese middle school students by exposing them to English speaking college students. My internship in PingXiang this summer will have me filming these interactions and teaching moments in order to present the donors to and participants of Learning Journey with teaching demos and a feature length documentary.

What’s going on? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

For the past two weeks, I have been living in a provincial Chinese middle school, recording a documentary for the English as foreign language program, Learning Journey in China. The organization is dedicated to bringing hands on English education to lower income areas in China, helping improve students’ reading, writing, and speaking skills. While in PingXiang, I am attempting to capture the uniquely disorienting, terrifying, and wonderful experience of cultural exchange.

I set out to do this program because of my ever-growing interest in the film world. In the future, I hope to work as a film festival executive and am using this opportunity to create a documentary film as first hand exposure to the excitement and challenges of film making. By understanding the creative process that produces a film, I think I will have a more profound understanding of movies and the people who make them.

July 23, 2015
by Diana Campeggio
Comments Off on A Postcard From: Ally Navolio ’16

A Postcard From: Ally Navolio ’16

Name: Ally Navolio

Class Year: 2016

Internship Placement: I am interning at a PR firm called Falco Ink. During my time I will be learning about entertainment publicity within the film industry, helping with marketing research, film campaigns, press screenings, press junkets, and other events.

What’s going on? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

This summer I am interning with a PR firm in New York City called Falco Ink. Falco has a focus on independent film, and as such their day-to-day activities are all in the service of getting and completing press for lower budget films. I, as an intern, am swept up in a whole slew of different projects and events that work to get these smaller—quite wonderful—films on the map. Even with my previous experience working with independent film festivals and programming, I had no real grasp of how important press relations are for these smaller films until I came to Falco.

Our offices are in Manhattan, which I love. On a normal day I catch the subway and head to our offices in midtown. While in the office I tend to do a lot of research for outlets, reporters, and venues that we can get in touch with about certain films. Much of the work I help with involves pitching to these different outlets, ultimately trying to “sell” a certain film to an outlet or writer in order to get a review or feature written about the film. These articles, features, releases, etc., are what we everyday people see and hopefully help get butts into the seats of a theater. Similarly, I’ve had to watch many of the films we have taken on, and then figure out something to pull from the film that could appeal to a certain audience or outlet. As well, once a film is about to be released we have to service the reviews, articles, etc., that come in. Basically that means logging the press material (ie: review in The New York Times) to show the producers of the film. A lot of scanning and emailing is involved, which I’ve done my fair share of.

James Kent and Kit Harington doing an AOL Build event for “Testament of Youth.”

I’ve done quite a bit outside of the office as well, in terms of events and screenings (some of them quite exciting). Falco organizes and runs a range of press events for their upcoming releases, many of which I have had the opportunity to work. While some are private advanced screenings for members of the press (allowing a writer to see the film early to give ample time for a long-lead article), others are much larger. Since I started in June I’ve worked two all-day press junkets, in which talent have come in to do press with multiple outlets. I’ve helped with checking in press, making sure actors/directors have what they need, and helping to run the floor. I’ve also worked audience-driven events and interviews, as well as a premiere red carpet and screening. Any slow time in the office is immediately made up for when I work these events – they are exciting, sometimes nerve-wracking (especially when one involves meeting an actor from one of my favorite tv shows of all time), and always super enlightening about this industry. I feel lucky that I not only have I had the opportunity to help out with these kind of events, but also observe my fellow coworkers in action. I believe wholeheartedly that I’ve gotten just as much, if not more, from merely observing all of the craziness around me.

So far the summer has been great, and I’m looking forward to my last few weeks!

The two Falco interns at the NY Premiere of “Unexpected.”

July 23, 2015
by Diana Campeggio
Comments Off on A Postcard From: Marisa Rafsky ’16

A Postcard From: Marisa Rafsky ’16

Name: Marisa Rafsky

Class Year: 2016

Internship Placement: I will be working at RespectAbility (in the greater Washington D.C. area) this summer as a Jewish Inclusion Fellow. In addition to acquiring strategic communications and policy skills, I will attend the Israel Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities UN meeting and be a panelist for a New York Jewish Educators Conference on the future of inclusive Jewish education.

What’s going on? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

Working at my desk!

As I head into my final week at RespectAbility, now’s the time to reflect on what I’ve done so far! So I live in D.C. and commute daily to Bethesda, Maryland, where RespectAbility is headquartered. In June I headed to New York City often on business. I attended an UN side conference event hosted by the embassies of Israel and Germany on technology and disability. With my UN pass card, I got access to official conference rooms! Later, I was an invited panelist for the Matan Institute’s Jewish education conference. We discussed inclusion strategies for New York area synagogues. This month, I attended events hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington in Maryland and Virginia. Aside from all the exciting trips, I worked on grant research, helped our Policy Director revise a congressional briefing, and engaged with media experts. This Friday, I will spend my day on Capitol Hill getting press statements on the 25^th anniversary of the ADA from key leaders.

How I heard about my internship:

My boss from last summer’s JEVS Human Services internship program received an email from RespectAbility’s President, who requested applications for summer interns. She knew I was passionate about political work in the Jewish community, so she thought RespectAbility would be a great fit for my interests. I applied for the job and the rest is history.

A Souvenir from my conference

Why I applied for my internship:

When I first entered Bryn Mawr, I knew right away I wanted to major in political science. I just didn’t know what I wanted to do with that degree. Over time, I realized I wanted to use my degree to serve my Jewish community. When I researched RespectAbility, I knew I would have opportunities to learn about Jewish political advocacy. RespectAbility’s Jewish Inclusion work coalesces around the concept of Tikkun Olam, which means we have a shared responsibility to help others. The work gave me valuable insight into what a career in Jewish civil/human rights advocacy might look like. I look forward to using the skills I learned for my upcoming Fall Praxis internship at the Anti-Defamation League in Philadelphia!

July 22, 2015
by Diana Campeggio
Comments Off on A Postcard From: Alex Kohn ’16

A Postcard From: Alex Kohn ’16

Name: Alex Kohn

Class Year: 2016

Internship Placement: I will be working at Camp Pegasus, a therapeutic day camp for children with social and cognitive deficits. The camp serves boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 15, providing activities such as sports, computer lab, and outdoor exploration, as well as art therapy and music therapy social skills groups. As an art therapy intern, I hope to learn more about art therapy techniques, understand the relationship between an art therapist and his/her clients, as well as gain skills working with children with cognitive deficits.

What’s going on? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

This summer I am interning in one of the art therapy rooms at Camp Pegasus. I am having a wonderful experience learning about art therapy techniques as well as social coaching and other specific approaches for working with children of this population.

Throughout the summer I have been creating many social connections—with campers and staff—and I love both aspects of this experience. Art has been a meaningful way to connect with each child individually. It is wonderful seeing how each child expresses him or herself through creating art. During art sessions, I am able understand each child on a personal level. It amazes me that as I get to know each camper better, I am able to recognize which piece of artwork belongs to which child. Additionally, connecting to staff has been very beneficial to my experience. I am under direct supervision of an art therapist and frequently meet with the other art therapist and intern who work in the other art room. A couple of times a week we meet with bunk counselors to talk about children’s individual needs and the overall group dynamics. One of my favorite parts of camp is a weekly meeting with the clinical team (the art therapists, music therapists, interns, and clinical director). In this setting we discuss what is working well for the campers or what isn’t going so well, the dynamics of each bunk and advice to be passed along to counselors and other staff working with certain children who may have very specific needs.

We are now halfway through the summer and I am excited for what is to come in the next four weeks of camp. As this internship is combining what I am most passionate about—making art and working with children—I am enjoying the daily learning experiences I am presented with. This work is so meaningful to me, and while I may not have the chance to fully see the long-term effects of our work with these children, this internship has opened my eyes to the small daily accomplishments and successes that build upon one another, making a huge difference in these children’s lives.

July 22, 2015
by Diana Campeggio
Comments Off on A Postcard From: Irène Delaney ’16

A Postcard From: Irène Delaney ’16

Name: Irène Delaney

Class Year: 2016

Internship Placement: I’ll be interning at Casamémoire, a Moroccan NGO dedicated to preserving and raising awareness of Casablanca’s rich architectural legacy. I’ll be researching more about the city’s history and, primarily, finishing the translation of their book from French to English!

What’s going on? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

This internship is a little unorthodox, in that I am working from home (in the U.S.) for an NGO in Morocco and in that I actually began my project last summer, over there. My principal task is to complete the translation of a book from French to English; this is a hefty but extremely rewarding job! The book is a guide to the 20th-century architecture of Casablanca, but its content stretches back to the 1300s when the city was a small medina on an Atlantic port. Between the two, the modern cosmopolis was influenced by waves of migration, Islam, autochthonous Berber culture, the Arab conquest, colonization by France and Spain, and a period of 20th-century architectural experimentation, the focus of the book. I’m more familiar with some of these subjects than I am with others, so in complement to the translation, I’ve been doing research according to a thematic bibliography. At the end of the summer, I’ll also compose a brief note analyzing my own translation, to be included at the end of the book. Finally, at the end of 2015, the English edition of this book will be released and I will be a published translator!

The book that I am translating is the one with the red spine.

Casamémoire itself is a Moroccan NGO that aims to preserve, restore, and raise widespread awareness of the rich architectural heritage of the city of Casablanca. Nationally, it does a lot of multilingual awareness-raising campaigns, tours, and events that help Moroccans of various descent understand their roots and their homes and significantly enrich Casablanca’s tourism sector. With its global, governmental, and cultural partnerships, Casamémoire unites scholars, students, artists and architects, tourists, and the general public around a common vision: the continuation of Casablanca’s legacy as a city of importance, beauty, progress, tradition, and cross-cultural dialogue. But Casablanca’s rich history should not suggest that it is a city of the past: as Morocco’s economy and political clout continue to develop and Moroccan culture is increasingly admired around the world, its largest city stands firmly in the spotlight. This gives cultural organizations like Casamémoire a platform to redirect public gaze towards the city’s past, and what better way to reach global audiences than to widely translate its work? They have worked with Arabic and French editors in the past, but English is a new branch for them, and that is where I come in.

How I heard about my internship:

I spent time in Morocco and interned with Casamémoire last summer, but the nature and extent of my work were quite different. At a time when my summer internship plans seemed to be faltering, I heard back from them about the continuation of the project I had begun last July. I loved the work I had been doing, so I was eager for this opportunity to — through LILAC — expand the scope of my knowledge and finish the translation.

Downtown Casablanca, where signs are in Arabic, French, and often Tamazight (Berber).

Why I applied for my internship:

Not only do I enjoy translation and cherish Casablanca; I love the way that this internship fits into the larger organization. I admire Casamémoire’s mission more every time I hear about a new project of theirs; this is why I initially chose to work with them last summer. Furthermore, while my official major is Francophone Literature, my real academic and personal passions lie in the Maghreb and in Morocco, and this internship has been a means for me to dive into another pool of Moroccan cultural history. As I prepare for a career centered on language and Morocco, I can think back to this experience and remember how happy I have been to work at this kind of NGO. In the future, I’ll surely gravitate towards similar jobs, where the context of my translations can fascinate me and where I will be able to serve a cause I consider to be noble — the increased accessibility to culturally educative media and the subsequent preservation of North African history.

Me at Hassan II mosque, the largest mosque in Africa, last summer.

July 21, 2015
by Diana Campeggio
Comments Off on A Postcard From: Abby Hoyt ’17

A Postcard From: Abby Hoyt ’17

Name: Abby Hoyt

Class Year: 2017

Internship Placement: As an intern with the Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office, I will be working on a filing project that the office has implemented in order to become more environmentally friendly. They are attempting to scan all case materials into a secure database where judges and attorneys in the courtroom can easily access them. I would be in charge of going through sensitive case materials to document what cases can be transferred into the database and which have further hard evidence that needs to be documented first. I will also have the privilege to watch attorneys in the office in the courtroom in the afternoon. Several speakers from drug court, the gang violence unit, and traffic court have arranged to come talk to the interns during informational lunches where we will learn more about the specific sectors within the State’s Attorney’s Office.

What’s going on? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

This summer I interned in an attorney’s office. A big part of my internship was having the opportunity to watch court proceedings, which has taught me a lot about law and the type of law that I would like to study in the future. I learned valuable office skills and how to run an efficient office. My dream would be to open my own law firm one day, so having that skill will prove to be very useful.

Why I applied for my internship:

Through the winter and spring externship program at Bryn Mawr I was able to complete my externships with an alumna that is an attorney. Shadowing her made me realize that law was something I really wanted to do as a career. After shadowing her I was offered a spot in the office’s summer internship program, which I accepted in order to learn more about legal proceedings and how a case can turn into a trial.

July 21, 2015
by Diana Campeggio
Comments Off on A Postcard From: Teresa Wang ’17

A Postcard From: Teresa Wang ’17

Name: Teresa Wang

Class Year: 2017

Internship Placement: I am currently interning at the Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering of National Taiwan University. My intern position is research assistant and my topic of research is on poultry waste management.
During my time here I will be checking several master theses (each ranges from 90-150 pages), translating potential publication in the department, and completing a research paper on poultry waste management with Dr.Wang.

This is the building I work at (Environmental Research Center)! I am on the fourth floor.

What’s going on? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

Hello! I am currently interning at the Environmental Engineering Graduate Institute (GIEE) of National Taiwan University as a research assistant! My research topic is on poultry waste management, which is unexpected and challenging in a novel way, and my team analyzes the four dominant methods (compost, combustion, anaerobic digestion, and carbonation technologies) of poultry waste management with the case studies from Germany, Mainland China, Japan, USA, and Taiwan. We are finishing a research paper that will later be submitted for publication after several reviews, and my main focuses are the environmental assessment, socio-economic impact assessment, and research on anaerobic digestion technology. In addition to this research, I also edit master theses and do some translation work on the side. The master theses are normally 100+ pages and editing them takes quite some time, but as much as I am amazed by the length of work I always learn a lot from checking their papers. Speaking of my team, I am fortunate to have a very responsible and caring partner on the research team, he is very up-to-date and kind and I feel relaxed but motivated to work with him. I call him Dr. Wang because he is a post-doc in the office, in fact, except for myself, everyone else in the office has a doctorate degree or in the process of getting a doctorate degree. Nonetheless, no one thinks less of me because I am a college student. The working environment is very independent but not tensed, everyone is always working on their own projects and getting calls individually, but we often chat with each other while sharing snacks and drinks after lunch. National Taiwan University is located in one of the most dynamic district with delicious food and nice cafes, and I am never out of choice for lunch to energize me to continue working in the afternoon! It is a very nice working environment and I am glad to be working with these people!

How I heard about my internship:

I had worked as an intern in GIEE several years back, but I was an experimental research assistant rather than a research assistant. Meaning, I worked with the professor by observing and conducting my own experiment at the lab. My work was published on the online science journal Aerosol and Air Quality Research. For this summer I was hoping to do an internship that is environmental related and close to home, and working at the GIEE certainly fulfills both desires.

Great view of Taipei 101 from my office!

Why I applied for my internship:

My passion has always been environmental protection and renewable energy development , and I think it is crucial to understand the science behind ecofriendly technology by experiencing the fieldwork. Also from my personal experience I knew that this internship wouldn’t be a relaxed and easy position, which is exactly what I wanted for my summer.

July 17, 2015
by Diana Campeggio
Comments Off on A Postcard From: Meera Jayaraman ’17

A Postcard From: Meera Jayaraman ’17

Name: Meera Jayaraman

Class Year: 2017

Internship Placement: I will be interning at the South Asian American Digital Archive this summer! As an intern, I will be working on a project called Our Stories, a guidebook for South Asian American parents and teens. The first half of my internship will be fundraising for the guidebook, and the second will be collaborating with academics to make the guidebook accessible to the general public.

What’s going on? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

I am currently working with the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA), which is a nonprofit based in Philly. The main thing that SAADA does is document and share immigrant stories, which are often a forgotten part of American history. If you peruse the website (www.saada.org), you will find that SAADA contains collections of primary source information on South Asian American history, and then publishes some of that information in a literary magazine, Tides. The first part of my internship was mostly spent fundraising for a project that just launched, called Our Stories. This will be a full-length book detailing the history of South Asian America, placing an emphasis on erased immigrant stories. If all goes well, Our Stories will be available in libraries and homes at this time next year. I spent a lot of time doing outreach to other nonprofit organizations, writing press releases, and writing grant applications for this project. Aside from this project, I’ve been doing a lot of day-to-day work running SAADA, a big part of it being working with primary sources. I have combed through the archives and written abstracts for several primary sources, which is one of my favorite things to do. Finally, we’ve also begun to launch another project, called Desi in Philly, which aims to amplify South Asian American voices through photography. Basically, we have received funding to pass out disposable cameras to a community of Bhutanese and Bangladeshi immigrants who live in Philly. They will take photographs for three weeks, and then submit the photos to us. We’ll then put on an event where the photos will be displayed and people will have the chance to talk about their experiences as immigrants. If all of that goes well, the project, which starts next week, should be wrapped by late August.

Why I applied for my internship:

Though it corresponds to my research on immigrant life in America, a lot of my bigger reasons for wanting to work here are personal. As a South Asian American woman, I’ve always been searching for my own history. While working at SAADA, I’ve managed to lay my hands on lots of fascinating primary sources and written about them. For example, I discovered some cool evidence of organizing by South Asians in Berkeley in the 60’s. During that time, when Berkeley was a hotbed for community activism, Indian Americans were organizing around protesting the Emergency in India, which was a major sociopolitical issue of the time. They held rallies and organized with zeal, and the evidence of it all is seen in old flyers, statements, and pamphlets that I’ve been able to work with. It has made me incredibly proud to be South Asian American.

Here are a couple of fascinating images that I’ve found that detail organizing that South Asian Americans have done.

https://www.saada.org/item/20150702-4177

https://www.saada.org/item/20131101-3275

Summer Internships 2015

Sun-soaked postcards from Bryn Mawr students

A Postcard From: Alizeh Amer ’16

A Postcard From: Airen McClure ’16

A Postcard From: Medoza Ameen ’16

A Postcard From: Ally Navolio ’16

A Postcard From: Marisa Rafsky ’16

A Postcard From: Alex Kohn ’16

A Postcard From: Irène Delaney ’16

A Postcard From: Abby Hoyt ’17

A Postcard From: Teresa Wang ’17

A Postcard From: Meera Jayaraman ’17