Posted by Considering studying away or participating in a global internship? Meet Megan See who shares about their global experience and how participating in a global internship has impacted their career path and perspective moving forward.
Name: Megan See
Study Away Site: NYU Tel Aviv:
Home Campus: NYU Shanghai
Currently Studying: NYC Campus
Class Year: Class of 2023
Major: International Relations (History, Chinese, and Global Network Political Studies Minors)
You interned while studying in Tel Aviv. In what ways did your global internship shape your future goals?
I interned at a refugee education non-profit organization called The Schoolhouse. I was an assistant teacher to a beginner’s English class and substituted for other classes if another teacher wasn’t available. I also did administrative work for the office, helping students register for classes, helping them make payments, administering placement tests, etc. I had previously wanted to work with migrant workers, but I was paired with this internship through my Experiential Learning class and the NYU Tel Aviv internship coordinator. Working with the students and staff members at The Schoolhouse absolutely refocused my career goals, and now I want to work for the UNHCR (the UN refugee agency), or other smaller non-profits in the same sector. It was an extremely meaningful experience, and I could tell it was for others at the non-profit too. Speaking with the Director also gave me a lot of insight into the field and what that kind of career would look like. I really enjoyed the community of people who were involved with that type of work, and they were able to direct me to others within their network and help me discover ways to be more effective and impactful.
How did you get involved in the NYU Tel Aviv community while studying away?
There are many ways to get involved in the NYU Tel Aviv community and the city itself. Outside of my internship, I was also the NYU Tel Aviv social media manager and helped coordinate student events on campus. One of my favorite moments from my semester in Tel Aviv was on Thanksgiving when all of the students planned a huge dinner together. We worked with the faculty to figure out a budget, and then together we bought and cooked a huge meal for the entire site. It was a wonderful experience that really brought the community together. At the end of the semester, another student and I coordinated the end-of-semester Gala. The faculty let us be very hands-on, and because of that, you could tell that the students were always considered and reflected on campus.
What was your cohort of students like at NYU Tel Aviv?
We had a very small cohort of around twenty students, and everyone was extremely kind and inclusive. We had such a great time together! I would say there were a lot of political science, international relations, and nutrition majors at the Tel Aviv site, but certainly students in different majors as well. There were also a lot of Global Liberal Studies majors. We had a mix of NYU New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai students, and people from different countries around the world. There was a great dialogue between students about our various experiences and backgrounds, and it was a very open-minded and supportive group. It is important to acknowledge the current situation in Tel Aviv regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, and it was frequently discussed between students and faculty, on and off campus. I know that everyone there gained much more insight into the conflict and absolutely left with much more information and knowledge on the topic. The students all live in the same building, which is only about a five-minute walk from campus, so there was no difficulty getting to know people. We were all extremely close from very early on, and we all still talk to each other now, a year later. Those of us who are in New York still see each other frequently.
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