Dream. Pursue. Achieve. Life after IE3

by Ashley Blake, OSU, interned at ICAS/Mesoamerica in Costa Rica in 2006

Dream, pursue, achieve.

In school we’re given lots of buzz words to get us to “reach for the stars” and “fulfill our dreams.” Inspiring? Yes. Overwhelming? That too. Possibly a bit corny? Maybe…or maybe not.

Let me tell you a little bit about my story. After obtaining my Associates degree (basically your Baccore) in Bend, I entered OSU as a Media Communications major, a Music major and a Spanish minor. Lots of work for a new university student! After a tough first year, I realized that piano performance was not for me, so I dropped to a music minor and focused my energy on my other areas of study. I really needed a break from Corvallis, so I took the summer to study abroad in Spain to work on credits for my Spanish minor (scholarships, loans, and random side jobs for income — that can make it happen!). It was when I came back that I discovered the International Degree program. What an awesome opportunity: studying what you’re interested in! I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I shifted gears once again and instead of focusing on three different subjects — media, music and Spanish — I combined them. Over the next two years, I studied, traveled, did internships, and ended up graduating with two degrees (Media and International Studies), two minors (Music and Spanish), and an International Degree thesis “Music, Media and Success: A Costa Rican Perspective.”

While my academic pursuits were clear, my career ideas were vague. How the heck do you get a job doing what you love to do? The summer before my super senior year, I took an internship in Bend, Oregon with C3 Events, a festival and concert production company. One of their mottos: “Our world is glamorous, but our work is not” was something I learned to take to heart. I schlepped equipment, worked insane hours, and stressed over details like a madperson. But I also got to meet top-notch bands, work with tour managers, listen to music on the job, and gain professional skills in a way that no experience would ever have given me. After that summer, the owner of C3 offered me a job, and I ended up as an Events and Intern Manager with the company for two seasons after graduating.

Now, just two years after marching through Reser Stadium to be handed a piece of paper reflecting 5 years of work and a lifetime of opportunity, I am at a place in my career that I never even dreamed I would be. Last October I took a position with Ludus Tours, a company that does tours to international events including the Running of the Bulls in Spain, Oktoberfest in Munich and the Olympics, happening this year in Beijing. On a daily basis I apply media skills, communicate in foreign languages (since college I’ve learned some German and even a bit of Chinese!), use event management skills I learned at C3, and all around get to do what I love. This summer, I’ll be working in Spain, China and Germany, and my future with Ludus is bright and exciting.

So, we all know that college can be fun and it can be a drag, it can be tough and it can be rewarding. But ultimately, my bottom line is the same. Dream, pursue, achieve.

 

Medical Internships in India: A CFHI video

Take a five minute trip to India and watch the following video about the healthcare programs that CFHI offers there, including an interview with Alyssa Boesch, an IE3 public health intern on the Himalayan Rotation this past spring term.  Learn more about how to do a ten week medical rotation as a pre-med or pre-nursing student by visiting the IE3 position descripton. IE3 and CFHI also offer medically focused internships in Bolivia , Ecuador (Rural and Urban), Mexico, and South Africa.

IE3 At NAFSA

At the end of May the National NAFSA (Association of International Educators) conference was held in Washington D.C. and IE3 was there! As a presenter, our Africa director, Christopher Bennett, spoke on a panel focused on” Building and Sustaining a Quality International Internship Program.” An additional poster session focused on orientation and preparing students for international internships. We’re proud to be contributing to the body of knowledge at a national (and international) level!