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Colombia Internship - The road less traveled

A project by: Alexandra Artzoglou

Successful

WE RAISED £2,015

from 6 donors

This project received donations on Fri 14 Jul 2017
''I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.''

My project

A cultural psychologist, Clifford Geertz, once said: ''We all begin with the natural equipment to live a thousand kinds of life but end up in the end having lived only one.'' However, I always had this ambitious wish to live in more than one place, meet many different kinds of people and not settle to one kind of life. The Intern group is an award-winning enterprise that embodies exactly that. It brings people from all over the world together in an international internship programme that promotes cultural immersion and continuous learning to select candidates. These international programmes do not only increase one's employability prospects in today's job market, but have been described as life-changing experiences ! Participants benefit on a personal level by becoming more innovative and culturally sensitive in this global community, but at the same time are boosted in their professional level by undertaking internship roles customised to their skills and future goals.

I feel extremely lucky and honoured to have received a place out of 20,000 applications in this prestigious organization, and I am enthusiastic to go to Colombia in South America for the maximum amount of time possible, 6 months !

Who am i?

My name is Alexandra (Alex) and I have just finished the final year of my undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Essex.

This year has introduced me to the field of Cross-Cultural Psychology, the study of the way culture shapes human behaviour together with many aspects of who individuals think they are, their conceptions of themselves and their personalities. To get involved in this field, it is particularly important to live away from the Western society I have been living in up until now, and work in a different setting and mentality, by coming into contact with the local population. For this reason I will be doing an internship with an NGO or non-profit organisation that will not only bring me closer to the South American culture, but also help me learn another language, and thus, another way of thinking!

Additionally, my interest in creative writing and practice of professional photography will further be developed as I plan to spread the word of life in Medellin and share my experiences.

Why Colombia?

I personally have a longstanding interest in the South American culture, which led me to take on an executive role in the Latin American society of the University, and efforts to learn the Spanish language and salsa dance (that I yet aspire to master)! Colombia is an emerging economy that has achieved marked progress during the past few decades, a huge contributor of which is the new generation of hard-working people dedicated to the progress of their country. The country has a seductive influence among visitors, as it combines amazing beaches, forests, bustling cities, fresh fruits, and most importantly, a happy warm population. The motherhood of salsa dance, it was recently voted as the second most attractive tourist destination in the world, while Medellin (the city I will be living in) is alternatively referred to as the City of Eternal Spring.

(These pictures are actually from Guatapé in Colombia, not Medellin where I'll be living in but hey, Colombia got your attention)

Why now?

Because now is the time of my graduation, and the very first thing I do next is going to define my future. Some people told me I shall never wish to come back, while 88% of those that took part in this international internship program find graduate- level employment within 3 months. As far as I know, anything can happen after interacting with interns from over 105 different countries, networking within my selected organization and immersing in a completely different culture.

Where will the money go?

If the minimum target of £1300 is reached, it will cover a part of the PROGRAMME FEE for my internship in Colombia for 6 months. This includes:

  • Professional Internship to preferred job sector
  • Career Training
  • Professional Development Tools
  • Social & Networking Events
  • Cultural Immersion
  • Accommodation
  • Transport to and from the airport, Trips
  • 24/7 Emergency Support

An ideal target of £3305 will cover the full amount of the outstanding programme fee, together with:

  • Flights: £700
  • Travel insurance: £243.14

Any extra money raised will go to insurance of my electronic devices (Macbook pro & Canon 5d mark ii with 3 lenses and flash), living expenses, Spanish and dancing lessons ;)

Rewards

  • I am super grateful for everyone who donates and I will provide some great reward to thank you for that (listed on the right hand side)
  • If anyone would be interested in having a mini professional photoshoot (photos will be taken by me) I could also arrange that. So if you'd be interested in something like that, just ask me :)

Help me succeed!

It would mean the world for me to make this dream come true, and any support to get me there will be forever appreciated!

Even £1 donations will make a difference but you don't have to give money to help me succeed! You could help me just by sharing this page with anyone who you think can help.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Find me here

Ask me anything and follow my updates on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexandra.artz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_retro_runaway/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-artzoglou-76b262101/

email: aartzo@essex.ac.uk