This guest blog was written by Shayna Dunitz, a junior at Ithaca College, a fellow Intern Queen intern with me and a Spring 2011 study abroad student at the University of Sydney. She had an unique experience abroad when she interned for Emergency Architects Australia. Shayna shares her experiences interning in another country and how she was able to balance getting ahead and exploring Down Under.
When I first made the decision to study abroad in Sydney,
Australia I was not thinking about an internship at all. I was barely even
thinking about classes. All I had in mind was the beautiful beaches and amazing
city. However, when given the option of an internship through the University of
Sydney, I began to really consider it. As a sophomore, I still hadn’t had an
internship and I knew I would be coming back to New York too late in the summer
to get one. I wasn’t sure what I would be doing in the fall, and there were a
couple of options that I was actually interested in. I decided to go ahead and
send my resume and cover letter in for the event planning internships they
offered and I haven’t regretted it once.
I was
offered the event management internship with a non-profit called Emergency Architects Australia (EAA).
Established in 2005, EAA provides architectural advice, planning, project
management and building support in South East Asia and the Pacific Region to
communities who have suffered natural disasters or the effects of conflict and who
are seeking to reduce avoidable damage from foreseeable extreme events. Over
the course of the semester, I planned 5 different events, the biggest of which
was a cocktail party for our sponsors. This was also the most challenging
because it had never been done before so I had no background, and I had no clue
what vendors to contact in Australia!
I learned
so much from this experience, both in the field of event planning and about
living and working in a different country. I worked in a small, casual office
where it was often just my supervisor and I and maybe another intern or
volunteer. I interned one full day a week, which fit in perfectly with my
school schedule and I was still able to travel and explore on the weekends. My
internship was also in a different suburb than my apartment, so I was able to
get familiar with another area and with using public transportation. With
regards to event planning, I organized a couple of small workshops and
meetings, and the large cocktail event. I was in charge of everything from
contacting to vendors, securing venues, creating invitations and organizing
RSVPs. As a result, I became very comfortable sending “cold emails” (and extremely
family with navigating Google). My first internship experience with Emergency
Architects Australia will always have a special place in my heart and I look
forward to visiting Australia again and stopping in to say hello!
