One of the many privileges of attending a UC is the opportunity to study and intern abroad. These programs are vast and catered to the diverse interests of UC scholars. Through programs offered in countries around the world, students can travel either during the quarter or over the summer to gain academic and work experience in another country. Additionally, UC campuses offer scholarships for these programs to ease the financial burden on students interested in global opportunities while pursuing their Bachelor’s degree. This last summer I was fortunate enough to intern in Chiang Mai, Thailand and I am here to share how it changed my life in an effort to encourage others to pursue these opportunities while still in undergrad.
While a 6-week internship might seem like a brief period of time, I can’t even begin to share the numerous experiences I enjoyed and the countless adventures I was fortunate to enjoy. The Chiang Mai internship is an educational internship, giving UC students an opportunity to teach English, and occasionally math, at various grade levels. I was teaching English with a fellow UC student at the Wat Si Don Chia Municipality School to students in the 1st through 9th grades everyday, focusing primarily on the 1st and 4th graders.
While we were accompanied by other Thai teachers at the school, who provided us with support and translated class activities to the students if necessary, a large portion of our weekly schedule was unsupervised. We had a truly authentic experience teaching English as a foreign language and I would do it again in a second if I could. Not only does the school staff provide support in as many ways as they can, but the program coordinators truly have your back in regards to literally anything, whether it be language lessons, travel guides, medical assistance, getting a sim card, or anything else you can think of.
During my internship, I was also able to bond and create friendships with Thai university students who were teaching at my school as part of their undergraduate teacher training. These friendships were such an unexpected blessing and addition to the program. The Thai university students would get coffee with my fellow UC teacher and I between classes and take us on foodie adventures on weekends. Their friendship and care made the internship experience feel really fluid and immersive — we were seen as a pivotal part of the school community.
An additional benefit to study and intern abroad programs offered by the UC Global Learning Hub is that you are able to connect with students from other UC Campuses. My roommate and fellow UC teacher were attending UCLA and have now graduated. In addition to them, there were scholars from UC Santa Cruz, UC Merced, and UC Irvine. It was a truly wonderful way to connect members of the student body together across UC campuses. These are friendships I cherish.
If you see a program you’re interested in but it is not offered through your specific UC campus, don’t worry, because no matter what, they have your back and you’ll have access to the resources you need while building friendships that you may have never expected to make. To discover which program feels right for you, you can check out the Global Learning Hub and all of the fantastic educational opportunities that you have access to during your time in undergrad. Your life-changing adventure awaits!