Stories

Real people. Real experiences.
Hanna at the Cliffs of Moher

Discovering Me: My Intern Abroad Experience

by Hanna Sise. Photo courtesy of Avenley Horner.

 

On June 19, 2010, my life changed forever. As I boarded the Iberia airbus from Chicago O’Hare to Madrid Barajas, I took a deep breath knowing adventure awaited. Sevilla was my final destination. After arriving in the breathtaking Spanish city, I knocked on the door of a stranger. This woman, Esperanza, was to be my host mother for the next two weeks.

 

As I navigated my way through the foreign streets, jet lag, and much different food than I was used to, my eyes opened to the wonder of this amazing country. For the first time in my seventeen years, I was seeing something other than myself. Being used to living in this bubble that others created for me, I was finally able to see that there was life outside of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. And that was it: I was officially hooked.

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in Stinters' Corner

A Summer Stint: Music Therapy and Realizing My Independence

by Perrin Thompson

 

When I considered writing a reflection on my time as an intern in Dublin, I thought it would be easy. However, when I sat down (multiple times) to gather my thoughts and begin telling my story, I realized how difficult it was to put what I had experienced into words. How could I convey what a life changing experience I had? How many amazing friendships I had formed? How much I had grown personally and professionally? And how much I had learned about myself being immersed in a foreign culture?

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in Stinters' Corner

Why I Chose To Go Back

by Christine Loughlin

Setting the Scene

As a kid, I used to wake up on a Sunday morning to the smell of bacon frying and the gentle sounds of Irish traditional music. “Low lie the Fields of Athenry…!” Listening to the stories told to me about my great- great grandmother’s journey from Ireland to America filled me with admiration for this strong woman. My Claddagh ring that I wear every day grounds me to my Irish roots through its tale of love and loyalty. Memories and stories like these as well as small, yet meaningful, pieces of Irish culture have been artfully woven into my life ever since I can remember. It helps, too, that Boston is a place where shamrocks and all things Irish are far from scant!

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in Stinters' Corner
To wish upon a dandelion

To Wish Upon A Dandelion: What I Hope To Achieve in Ireland

Dandelions are my favorite flower. They grow where they aren’t supposed to. Kids blow on the tiny white puffs as they squeeze their eyes tight making a wish and hoping whatever they hope for will reach the stars.

 

In a couple days, I jet off for Dublin for a three-month internship with Extreme Ireland. I’m ready for my time abroad, but I have some nerves.

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in Stinters' Corner

A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: How My Dream Of Interning Abroad Was Realized

All it took was a list.

 

This list came out of a “dark” time in my life, a time where I, ever so melodramatically, thought my life was falling apart. Everything I knew about myself had been shattered, leaving me questioning where I was going and what I wanted to do with my life. I had just changed my major after questioning if that was the right choice. I trusted my heart and leaned on my faith in the unknown. I had absolutely no idea where my life was headed; all I knew was that I needed a new start.

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in Stinters' Corner

Hanna Sise, Events Intern

“I wanna plan big-scale events, market big-scale events, all across the world. I would love to live in one country for a couple years and then travel to another one and live there for a couple years. I think there’s so much of the world to see. The world is such a beautiful place and you meet so many great people along the way. I know that my dreams are ridiculously big, scattered all over the world. But I just know that I have to go after them and find them.” – Hanna Sise

 

Hanna Sise is an event planning and event marketing student at Stephen F Austin State University. She hopes to plan and market big-scale events while travelling the world.

in Stint Stories

Cierra Martin, Urban Farmer


“Part of me knows that opening an urban farm and cafe right out of college is a little bit crazy – and I’ve definitely gotten that look a time or two – but I think sometimes it’s those things and ideas that are just a little bit out there that end up creating something truly unique and beautiful.” – Cierra Martin.


A student at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, Cierra hopes to open an urban farm and cafe upon her graduation in May 2015.

in Stint Stories

Joseph Hulme, Civil Engineering Intern

Joseph Hulme is a student at Wentworth Institute of Technology. As a civil engineering intern with GMC Utilities this autumn, Joe was able to contribute to the Luas (Dublin’s light rail system) cross-city Utility project.

in Stint Stories

Katie Browner, Occupational Therapy Intern


“My favorite moment of the internship was with one little four year old boy. He’s very low functioning and he loves working on puzzles, more than anything, it’s his favorite activity. When the kids are outside playing, he’s always wanting to work on a puzzle. But he needs a lot of help doing the puzzles.


One day I was working on a puzzle with him. It was a box of puzzles with four different care bears in there. He wanted to do all four puzzles but we didn’t have time to do all of them so he got upset. So I told him we would do them all the next day. And the next day, the first thing when he got here, was he found me and asked me if we could do a puzzle. And I thought he would forget about it and he didn’t. It was so sweet!”


Katie Browner from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA. Occupational Therapy Intern at Little Pals Preschool with Enable Ireland.

in Stint Stories