Internship 

                    The internship abroad experience was unique as it was separated inro two parts, with the second being an internship with Association humanitaire de Montpellier, in which I worked and assisted in the operations their soupe populaire, or a soup kitchen. With this experience, the volunteers and interns with charged with roles that also changed depending on need. Before the kitchen would be open to guests each night, the members working all got together and we would meet to discuss the plan for the night, to separate the individuals into teams, and to organize the plan of action for the night. beginning, my supervisor did not understand my way of working or how I planned my schedule. I knew there had been other interns before me, but I never had the chance to speak with them. At the same time, I was the only intern there, so there was not much communication, and I worked mainly independently. Because of this, I often had to learn through experience and through my supervisor’s feedback rather than through direct instructions.

Because of this situation, I made a lot of progress in understanding my own work style and learning how to navigate different professional environments and circumstances, from managerial styles to working with various personnel. The professional development I gained will certainly help me in the near future, because it is important for workers to know how to navigate different environments. In general, I prefer working directly with a supervisor so that I can understand expectations more clearly, but this experience allowed me to work independently and develop my skills.

              Regarding my level of French, at the soup kitchen I tried to speak with the beneficiaries in French. Both the team and the beneficiaries were very kind, and they often knew that French was not my first language. With Association humanitaire de Montpellier, I also worked there with other abroad students from my program, however their French was less developed than mine, and oftentimes I took on a more interpersonal, speaking role since at first they were afraid to speak with others. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of meeting new people, so I went out to start and engage in conversations. After I showed them that the people were friendly, they also began speaking with them and eventually got to know the new people.

                I often try to embrace foreign environments when I am with others, since I look forward to talking with new people. The interpersonal and professional skills that I developed during my internship in France will certainly help me in my career.