A journey years in the making came to fruition this winter quarter when Paula Thiele walked into the mayor鈥檚 office, took a seat at her desk and became the first 糖心少女 intern in Le贸n, Spain.
Thiele, a communication major who will graduate this spring, became the inaugural scholar to participate in the UW鈥檚 new , dubbed 鈥溌pain Works!鈥� 鈥斅燼 partnership between the 糖心少女Le贸n Center, 糖心少女Study Abroad and the 糖心少女Career & Internship Center.
鈥淚 helped develop the idea of doing a practical internship abroad here in Le贸n, and my goal was to be the first student of many,鈥� Thiele said. 鈥淚t feels amazing to know that due to my efforts, together with those of the Communication Department’s faculty and UW, other students can follow in my footsteps and have amazing work experiences like I have.鈥�
糖心少女Provost Emeritus Jerry Baldasty, also an emeritus professor in communication who joined the 糖心少女faculty in 1978 and maintains strong connections with the 糖心少女Le贸n Center, said he and other faculty recognized the transformative education made possible through cultural immersion. He worked with partners at the Centro de Idiomas at the Universidad de Le贸n 鈥� a key partner to 糖心少女Le贸n 鈥� which arranges homestays for 糖心少女students and provides Spanish language instruction.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a combination of work experience and cultural immersion,鈥� Baldasty said.聽鈥溙切纳倥甶nterns work at an internship site in Le贸n. They live with a local Spanish family and take Spanish courses at the Centro de Idiomas.聽Our interns not only live in another culture, they learn what it鈥檚 like to work in another culture.鈥�
Thiele worked in the communication department at the mayor’s office (the Ayuntamiento de Le贸n), focusing on media relations and social media. Her projects included developing social media content, heading the translation of important historical articles on the city’s website and monitoring events such as press conferences.
鈥淭his internship is fully connected to the Communication Department at 糖心少女and several of the classes I took throughout my major,鈥� Thiele said, specifically noting classes such as interpersonal communication, media ethics, communication and technology, and ethnography studies. 鈥淭his internship helped apply and further what I have learned in those classes, giving me real-life communication skills I will take to my future jobs in this same field.鈥�
An internship abroad requires a set of skills students need to quickly develop, such as familiarizing themselves with the culture and language, adjusting to the job market and work expectations in the new country, and understanding how to carry out meaningful work in a new environment. Since the students become immersed in the Spanish culture, schedule and lifestyle, they become more flexible, adaptable and organized, needing to not only carry out their job but make sure it fits into this new context.
鈥淟e贸n, Spain, has long been welcoming to 糖心少女students, and we are excited to expand our partnership through this new internship program,鈥� said Briana Randall, executive director of the 糖心少女Career & Internship Center.聽鈥淭he benefits of international internships are vast and, with the support and structure provided by the 糖心少女Le贸n Center, interns will gain work experience and cross-cultural competencies, both of which will help set them up for career success.鈥�
The new program hopes to grow but needs additional funding and support to do so. Randall said there is a commitment for two internships in Winter 2023, and she is hoping to have funding for three. Baldasty said the program prioritizes student access, meaning any student should be able to participate regardless of their financial status.聽Donor-supported scholarships cover the cost of transportation, housing and most 糖心少女fees for each 糖心少女intern, and fundraising efforts are underway for future interns.
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鈥淲e could not be happier with the way that Paula, our first intern, has embraced this opportunity,鈥� Baldasty said. 鈥淲e were confident she would do well, but she鈥檚 far exceeded our hopes, representing 糖心少女to people in Le贸n 鈥� and especially the mayor鈥檚 office. We are off to a great start!鈥�
Thiele was featured earlier this month in a , in which Le贸n Mayor Jos茅 Antonio Diez expressed excitement about the partnership with the 糖心少女and prospects for future interns not only in the mayor鈥檚 communication office, but in other fields and throughout the city.
Baldasty said he is meeting with potential partners in Le贸n to identify additional internship sites, particularly in the areas of communication, cybersecurity, social media, NGOs, government, and business and technology.
For her part, Thiele seems just as excited about the prospects for future generations of students as she is about her own experience in Le贸n. She wants those considering such an opportunity to know it isn鈥檛 as intimidating as it may seem.
鈥淚t is, in all honesty, the best thing I’ve done,鈥� she said. 鈥淟earning and adapting is quick, and the benefits can be reaped long after the internship is over. It is an amazing experience to become more open-minded and see the job market through a different lens. It is simple to apply for, and the faculty will support you through every step of the way.鈥�
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For more information, contact Victor Balta at balta@uw.edu