Summer vacation has always been a desire inhabited in the hearts and minds of students. Mention the word “summer” and people will think of the beach adorned with swimsuits, sunglasses, warm lapping ocean waves and excruciatingly high temperatures. This vision of summer is the common definition of “swag.”
However, some Wellesley students have their own unique definition of summer vacation. Summer vacation isn’t just about fun — it can also be about work and learning. For us, working is “swag”. But how do we live up to that level of “swag”?
Our answer: summer internships. This summer, several Wellesley students undertook journeys around the globe in search of gaining experience in their desired majors and possibly their future careers.
Kathy Long ’15 participated in one of the Center for Work and Service Global Engagement internships in which she traveled to Tokyo, Japan to partake in multiple projects at Rogers Investment Advisors.
“My duties in these projects ranged from data management of the company’s mail out performances to managing pension funds and quotas for institutional investors,” Long said. “Each of my projects helped make Rogers Investment Advisors streamline some of the ongoing projects whether by providing an easy way to record the number of due diligence meetings or by making the website for the Hong Kong platform.”
Also in East Asia, Shan Lee ’16, traveled to Shanghai, China, to work in United Technologies Corporation’s law firm and test the waters of the law business.
“I participated in translating American policies as well as researching anti-trust legal cases,” Lee said.
Not only do internships offer students an insight to prospective careers, they also provide numerous opportunities in areas outside students’ academic interests. For Long, one of the most exciting parts of the internship was that she was able to travel to a foreign country, upon which she had never set foot.
“I didn’t speak any Japanese at all so it was a really unique experience for me,” Long said.
Lee was pleased to gain language skills on top of her understanding of a potential career.
“Not only did I gain an insight on corporate law, I was also able to improve my Chinese,” Lee said.
Though some students traveled overseas for internships, some Wellesley students chose to engage in domestic internships.
Christina Phelps ’17 traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, where she worked at Bison Day Camp as a counselor for fourth grade girls.
“I loved working with the children,” Phelps said. “Through my experience in the day camp, I feel like day camps are really undervalued. Day camps offer an opportunity for kids to be able to have the freedom to explore their interests. I could see how happy it was for them to be able to facilitate that freedom.”
Whether it is an increase in the understanding of a foreign culture or the ability to discover new knowledge, summer internships can often be beneficial. As Phelps commented, “I really developed fond memories as well as unbreakable friendships.”
