Study local, think global - the positive effects on university students

We would like to share some excerpts (below) from a story published in the Sydney Morning Herald on August 5, 2010 Thursday about international internships and their positive effects on Australian university students.

STUDY LOCAL, THINK GLOBAL by Elizabeth Kelleher
Overseas internships are giving students an edge in pursuing their careers, writes Elizabeth Kelleher.

'Each experience opens the door to the next bigger, better opportunity," says University of Wollongong student James Deane of the internship he recently completed at the office of Congressman James Clyburn in Washington D.C. "It's difficult to describe how much you get out of working in a leadership office in the United States for a year because every day something new or exciting would happen," Deane says. "In a practical sense, it gave me the ability to stand out from the crowd. The internship definitely captures the attention of selection committees and job interview panels."

Deane, 25, is one of a growing number of students who are taking advantage of overseas internship opportunities to jumpstart their careers. He visited Capitol Hill as part of the Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Program, which is offered through the University of Wollongong, the University of Sydney and the University of Canberra. The program takes 12 students annually from a range of academic disciplines, including international relations, politics, communications, commerce, law and science.

A senior lecturer in history and politics at the University of Wollongong, Dr Anthony Ashbolt, says the Washington internships are particularly valuable because they immerse the students in a different political culture. "[The internship] challenges them and perhaps at times confronts them, in ways that contribute positively to their understanding of politics." …

Capitol experience leaves a lasting impression on aspiring student

When University of Wollongong student Lily Jade Frencham, 22, applied for the Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Program in May 2008, she was skeptical about her chances of being selected. She knew there had been a record number of applicants and "every step of the selection process, I was sure I'd be knocked out... I almost didn't write the application essay component because I thought there was no point."

But Frencham, who will graduate with a bachelor of laws/bachelor of media (journalism) in December, made it through and was soon working as a press intern in the office of Congressman John Tierney.

"The internship has inspired me to always strive to reach for what you most want. It has inspired me to persist and to push further than I ever would have otherwise, with the knowledge that the only time you're not guaranteed to get what you most desire is when you don't try," she says. "It's been an incredible stepping stone. It was actually directly due to my internship that I was approached by the Oaktree Foundation to direct and lead a youth delegation to the United Nations Summit in New York City. For me, that's pretty much a dream come true."

Study local, think global
Author: Elizabeth Kelleher
Date: 05/08/2010
Words: 743
Source: SMH Publication: Sydney Morning Herald
Section: Supplement
Page: 6