What inspired you to work for Internships China?
I like the idea of helping more young students and professionals gain international experience. In some regards, I wish I had had this same help when I was first traveling abroad
Learning Chinese
What is your favorite part about your job as Program Director?
Meeting a wide range of people and students from all walks of life and all regions of the world, and being able to show them China and give them a great experience.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
Committing to an experience in a new country and in a new language is daunting. Having staff who has an education in the target language and culture and experience living abroad increases the trust customers have in what we do.
What makes Internships China easy to market to potential participants?
We are a young team who were in the same positions as most participants just a few years ago, so we understand the struggles and needs better than other similar organizations.
Welcoming Students
If you could participate in one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
I would come to Shanghai and do an internship in translation. I've always wanted to be an interpreter or translator, which is what led me to this position. I love being able to use my language skills on a daily basis.
What do you hope participants take away from Internships China programs?
We hope participants go home with a love for the place and culture that they have been. Coming to China should be about all the fun things China has to offer, about the things that make expats stay here, not about the frustrations of living in another country. We hope they go back and say "Wow, I would love to go back there and live full time."
Company Visit
What advice would you give your pre-travel self?
Travel now while you still are able to! See and experience as much as you can before you feel the need to "settle down." You may only get this chance now.
Why do you think it is important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
Many people say traveling abroad gives you knowledge and respect for other cultures and people, but in my opinion it teaches you even more about your own. Only by seeing other places and learning from other people can you truly look at your own culture clearly. This is really important for our future leaders, to be able to look more objectively at our own and other cultures’ habits.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means you end the trip with more knowledge than what you entered with, whether this knowledge is linguistic, cultural, professional, or other is up to the traveler!
