AIFS Abroad: Study, Intern, or Study & Intern in England

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to intern abroad! Prior to arriving in London I was super nervous about traveling and living in a new city, as I had never traveled by myself before and had little experience traveling abroad in general. However, as soon as I arrived I felt at home and found that the city is much easier to navigate than I had expected. I feel that my internship provided me with a greater knowledge and experience in the mental health field and I hope to apply these skills later when searching for a career in counseling. Overall, I have gained more confidence from this experience and feel a sense of both personal and professional growth. To anyone that is on the fence about interning abroad or nervous about living in a new country, I would say to go for it and be prepared for the time to fly by.

My experience from Global Experience has been tremendous in a way that not only was it my first time to live in Europe, but also my first internship at a fashion manufacturer. Though the company is a small company, I feel that I had come at the right time where the company is preparing to launch its own brand. I was able to take on many roles ahead of my experience where it had challenged me to grow more than I initially expected.

I would want the future participants to know that aside from growing experiences in career, living abroad is all about traveling and becoming cultured as well. "Work hard, play hard!"
I would definitely suggest to not be afraid to travel alone. There is an unimaginable amount of self-growth that comes from that once it can be looked at in a positive perspective.

My experience have impacted me in a way that it had filled my soul and opened my eyes on this untouched territory of mine on what is life out here, and the beauty and differences in the world aside from what we have ever known.

My favorite memory? This one is a hard one as it has been my first time doing almost everything I have done here, from traveling completely alone for the first time, visiting every city for the first time. I will say that making new friends, visiting countries I never imagined to visit so soon, conversations with strangers, exploring with roomates, getting lost with roomates, getting to know the city, speaking another language, creating family-like bonds with roomates all have been a favorite memory of mine and I will definitely miss it all.

In conclusion, all the advisors of GE has been great since the get go from helping my decision to intern abroad, making me feel comfortable in this huge commitment, prepping me for the internship, and walking me through the preparations. Post arriving for the internship, they have been very personable and available every step of the way. The events and social events have also been wonderful to be with interns on the same page and sharing this experience together. Carmen has been so hospitable and personable the whole way during the internship and coordinating every social event!

My time in London would not have been as amazing as it was without Global Experiences. I did not know what to expect, and the staff go above and beyond to help answer questions, quell any fears, and give tips on things to do/see. Carmen Chamorro (London coordinator) and Jen Mackin (program advisor--based in the US) are both super helpful and want to make sure that all participants are enjoying themselves. Global Experiences provides day trips most weekends to the surrounding area (i.e. Stonehenge, Bath, Brighton) and tours around in London, but, if you do not wish to do one of those, Carmen will suggest loads of other options for you to do so that you can experience the all of what London has to offer.

I worked as an Interior Design Intern this summer and it was an amazing experience. I was mostly nervous about not knowing anyone going into it, but the program did a great job at organizing events to allow us to meet one another. It also helped that our location coordinator, Carmen, was awesome and made sure we were all taken care of. I loved my internship and can't think of how it could have been any better. This program and internship has helped me to feel more prepared for the real world and confirm my passion for design. London is an amazing city and has given me nothing but good memories.

Before coming on this trip I had no idea what to expect as I didn't know anyone and hadn't ever had a real office job before. Never once though was i worried that i wasn't going to enjoy my internship at my company. The Global Experiences team in London (Carmen Chamorro and Jen Mackin) did an incredible job of finding everyone the right internship in their specified career field. Throughout the preparation period heading into the trip they asked all of the right questions and were really inclined to find you the best possible internship. As a result, as soon as i got to my internship i felt welcome and needed. Carmen and Jen were also always a quick email away from helping you with any questions you had about your internship and always had your back if something were to go wrong.

As for the social events hosted by GE, i would recommend going to as many of them as possible. They are a great way to meet the other people in your program, get closer to your supervisors, and network with people from around the world. Jen and Carmen also made them incredibly fun and enjoyable and were inclusive of everyone. Each social event was different and allowed you to truly experience the city you were in as well as its surrounding areas.

Overall, I would give the internship and social events aspect of GE a 10/10! Highly recommended for everyone!

I guess this summer will always be here, deep inside of my memories, warms my body in cold nights. London was never just a city, but a spring that surrounds you with its history, spirit and culture, a spring that drowns you with its magnificent beauty. Many years later, it might be difficult to remember what was I doing at the last day of July or what was the last words I said to my roommates, but I will never forget the smell in St Paul's Cathedra, I will never forget the warm breeze from the English Channel, "Wait, are those stars or lights from Normandy?" I will always remember that nameless song I heard at the bus station. Magic is real, my friend.

Thank you global experiences. Thank you for this amazing summer.

Overall, this program provides an unforgettable experience that will help you grow personally, academically, and professionally. I thought that they did a great job finding an internship that fit my needs and helped me decide what kind of industry I'd like to go into. It also allowed me to explore, not only the UK, but also many other countries in Europe! I would definitely recommend this program to anyone that is thinking about getting an internship abroad.

I would strongly recommend the Global Experiences London internship program to anyone that is interested. London is a really fun city to live in and there are lots of great internship programs. The location staff were phenomenal and were always there to support me and help me to have the best experience abroad possible. The social activities (such as taking a day trip to Brighton or visiting Stonehenge and Bath) were always a great time and I would recommend all of them. The internship was exactly what I was looking for and it was perfect for me. I cannot recommend this program highly enough!