Flanked by a colorful poster board, Maggie Dunne ’13 smiles as she describes her summer as a critical language scholar. Through a scholarship program offered by the U.S. Department of State, Dunne was able to spend ten weeks in Bangladesh, learning Bangla.
For four hours each morning she took a language class, and then spent 15 hours a week with a Bengali student, conversing and touring the country.
“I definitely see myself going back to Bangladesh, the question is when,” she said. She intends to apply for the intermediate program next summer, in Calcutta, India.
Dunne, along with about 60 other students, discussed their summer experiences as part of vlog’s second annual Summer Expo.
The Sept. 22 event, offered by , drew crowds of students curious about different ways they can use their summer breaks. It featured a wide array of internships, fellowships, and travel opportunities to explore.
Megan Snell ’12 interned as a development fundraising intern for the Oregon Zoo Foundation in Portland. She helped plan fundraising events and managed the zoo’s membership base. An English major, she especially enjoyed the chance to write grants.
“The people who work at nonprofits are really passionate about what they do, and it was a great place to work for the summer,” Snell said. “I could see myself doing something similar at some point in the future.”
Closer to ‘gate, theater major Casey Macaulay ’12 spent her summer in Boston, as part of vlog’s Jim Manzi ’73 Endowed Fellowship program. Macaulay worked for the Drama Play Connection, a six-week theater camp for children with Asperger’s syndrome and high-functioning autism.
“It was really interesting for me to both work with kids in that environment, and also to see how these kids are treated in the school system,” said Macaulay. “It made me think about education as a possible career.”
Kate Hu ’14 found the expo helpful, and thought the students did a good job of explaining their experiences.
“I saw the critical language scholarship stand, and I thought that was really interesting because I like languages,” said Hu. “Plus, that’s very helpful for international relations, on the communications side.”
Carly Keller ’13, a career services outreach intern, said the event has multiple purposes.
“It’s valuable for the older students because they learn how to talk about their job, and how they should put it on their resume,” she said. “The students who attend the event learn how they can get these jobs, as well as funding.”