It’s a Monday morning and the train to work is crowded. I weave through the busy city streets and finally arrive at the office. Many of my friends back home complain about being at the office early on a Monday morning. But despite the less than perfect commute I’m excited to start my day. Not only do I have a job that I love, but I work with some pretty incredible people as well. I’m an International Admissions Officer with awarding winning internship provider The Intern Group. Today, more than 10 years after I graduated from university, and after visiting over 20 countries around the world, I get to help other people gain the chance to advance their professional development and get the cross cultural experience of a lifetime.
Our Admissions Team consists of nine people. We all have had our own unique international experience that led us to this job. But one thing we have in common: we love what we do. We get to be a part of something really cool: helping others get that international experience and professional development. In each interview, we are looking for those applicants who have the drive and desire to see more of the world, get a global perspective on their chosen professional industry, and build their CV with real experience in their sector.
Here is a little about each one of us and how our international backgrounds and love for global living brought us to The Intern Group:
Let me introduce you to our team:
Bridget (Head of Admissions): Bridget graduated summa cum laude from West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Anthropology, Latin American Studies, and Spanish. She studied abroad in both Thailand and Costa Rica during college where she caught the travel bug and then subsequently did an international internship in South America. Since then, she has continued to combine her love for travel, different cultures, and working abroad with a home based in Santiago, Chile.
Rebecca (Regional Admissions Manager – Asia & Australia): After visiting over 20 countries, Rebecca decided to permanently plant herself in Santiago, Chile. She was born and raised in San Francisco and has a BA in Communication Studies and aMA in Urban Ministry. She has worked with various organizations in Israel, South Korea, and Chile. Working in other cultures has made her truly appreciate the unique strengths of each one. She loves meeting new people, backpacking in random countries where she doesn’t speak the language, and of course playing with her puppy Evie.
Jenny (Regional Admissions Manager – Europe, Africa & the Americas): Jenny began her love for traveling and discovering new cultures during a trip to Italy where she became interested in Italian Renaissance art, and she decided to major in International Studies and Art History at the University of Texas in Austin. She completed a fantastic semester abroad with an internship in London. After graduating, she had an overwhelming desire to apply her studies and explore her international interests further by traveling and living abroad, and mixed with a deep desire to know the Latin American culture, she came to South America. She started in Argentina for a 3-month backpacking trip that later expanded into a 3-year stay. Now, she’s happy to have found a home in Santiago, Chile. She loves spicy food, listening to jazz, rhythm & blues, and soul music, and singing Beyoncé and Stevie Nicks.
Samantha: developed a love of sampling international food and music from an early age when she was a child expat in Mexico. Upon returning to the United States, she became a Dean’s List student at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina. Afterwards, she returned to life as an expat volunteering with the PeaceCorps in rural Mozambique, teaching English in South Korea, and working as a research and literacy specialist while teaching in Honduras. She couldn’t be happier to have found a home in Santiago, Chile where there is a 360 degree backdrop of snowcapped mountains. She loves singing karaoke, eating street food, and listening to live music.
Yadira: Yadira is a Colorado native, born and raised in Denver. She received her BS in Construction Management from Colorado State University. After university, she started working in the Construction field for an oil and gas pipeline company. She decided that there was much more that she wanted to see and do and made the choice to travel to Chile to teach English and improve her Spanish. Her plans were to only stay for a year, but she fell in love with the country and culture and decided to stay. Chilean summers are her absolute favorite. She thoroughly enjoys the beaches in northern Chile along with the amazing seafood and wine. She truly believes that moving and working abroad was one of the most important decisions in her life thus far. It made it possible to expand her horizons beyond what was possible staying in her home country.
Spencer: Born and raised outside of Philadelphia, Spencer has always had a curiosity about other cultures and had an urge to travel. Sensing the opportunity that working abroad can provide, he moved to Chile shortly after finishing his Finance and Spanish studies at Temple University. He currently spends his free time alpine hiking around the many landscapes offered in his adopted country as well as working towards his goal of visiting 30 countries before the age of 30.
Miriam: Miriam is a Washington D.C. native who caught the travel bug during her first international trip to Beijing, China for the 2008 Summer Olympics. After completing her B.A. in Justice, Law & Criminology and minor in Spanish from American University, Miriam embarked on a 3-month backpacking trip of South America. She currently lives in Santiago, Chile and enjoys working as an Admissions Officer for The Intern Group. Her passions include exploring new lands, teaching English in her spare time, and trying new food recipes. Miriam believes living abroad is the best way to gain confidence and discover one’s true self.
Camila: Camila was born in Santiago, Chile and then moved to Chicago where she graduated from Lake Forest College with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Business. Due to her multicultural background she believes that everyone should spend time abroad. She enjoys learning about different cultures, meeting people from all over the world and trying different cuisines. She recently backpacked through Europe on her first solo trip. In her free time she loves watching street performers, eating sweets and spending time with her family.
Jen: A Canadian native, Jen graduated from University of Victoria in Marine Biology and Conservation. She enjoys extensive travel, adventure, and the outdoors, and has been living away from her home of Canada for two years to explore the Southern Hemisphere. Her abroad experience has been life changing in all ways, and loves to inspire others to do the same. Currently, she lives in Santiago, the capital of Chile, enjoying the culture, weather, and learning Spanish. Jen’s love for travel and constant education is what led her to The Intern Group, and believes that a combination of professional and personal development combined into one inclusive program is one of the greatest ways to experience the world.
So when you are interviewing with The Intern Group, know that your admissions officer has had hands on experience with living abroad and has seen first hand how an international experience can change your life.
Photo 1. by The Intern Group
Photo 2. by The Intern Group
Photo 3. by The Intern Group