Internship.

In the summer of 2020, I completed an internship with a non-profit organization called Upstate International in Greenville, South Carolina. The Greenville community has a very diverse international population, and many times culture or language can be barriers for families moving to the upstate to live and work. Upstate International exists to bridge the cultural divide and help the people of Greenville use its differences to innovate and create. The main ways UI accomplishes its mission is through providing and hosting cultural events, foreign language classes, moving services, and social clubs so that new and existing residents can engage in the increasingly globalized community. UI also has several educational forums with the World Affairs Council to promote humanitarian awareness, global trade relations, and other educational programs. I was the Program and Events Intern for the summer, so my job revolved around planning and organizing the cultural events, several education forums, and all of the coordination, scheduling, and marketing the foreign language program. My experience was a bit unusual, because given the circumstances surrounding the pandemic, I was the only intern there that summer. This turned out to be a very unique internship as a result, because I was able to do a little bit of everything for UI, including marketing, event planning, budgeting, public relations, and more. Though some of the typical large-scale community events had to be moved online for reasons relating to the pandemic, I was still able to learn a lot and add value to the organization. It was such a rewarding experience to witness the positive change Upstate International is creating in my hometown community, and my internship helped me grow so much personally and professionally, making me even more confident to enter into the international business community. To read more about my internship at Upstate International, you can scroll down and read my internship reflection essay in English or French.