Freeman grant to fund 14 students for 韩国 internships

Saint Michael’s College soon will be sending students abroad to participate in the College’s Global Citizenship International Internship Program, made possible by a grant from the Freeman Foundation.

今年’s 14 academic and professional internships are taking place in Seoul, 韩国, 从五月下旬到七月底. Past Freeman groups have had experiences in Hong Kong, with site placement in Singapore disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.  作为一种选择, Saint Michael’s students participated in virtual international internships in Vietnam last summer.  今年, participating students will be traveling to 韩国 this summer to gain professional experience as well as immerse themselves in East Asian culture and language. The internship is open to sophomores and juniors at Saint Michael’s of any major with a 3.平均绩点0或更高.

来自科尔切斯特的Maddie Laquerre, 24岁, VT is a secondary education and French double major who was one of the 14 Saint Michael’s students awarded this year’s Freeman Foundation Scholarship. Laquerre explained, “[the Freeman Foundation] is family-owned. They started this foundation because they wanted to improve relations between the U.S. and eastern Asian countries… They’re encouraging students to learn the culture… and helping the students becomes global citizens.”

Maddie Laquerre ' 24

She is passionate about learning and studying languages and feels that she can utilize that interest at Rolling Korea, 首尔的一所成人语言学校, 韩国, where she will be an education and marketing intern this summer. “我辅修TESOL, which is Teaching English to Students of Other Languages, so my focus and goal is to work with international students. 这是我决定申请的原因.”

Laquerre knew she wanted to study abroad as a part of her college experience. “I don’t think I would have gone to a school if I wasn’t able to study abroad, because I feel like the only way for me to become fluent in French was to go and be completely immersed in a French speaking country.” Being secretary of the French club and a French major has added to Laquerre’s interest in language, but she is seeking to enjoy the professional and educational side of the experience the Freeman Foundation Internship provides. “I’m definitely interested in language; I’ve learned a little Korean before going. But I guess I wanted this internship to focus more on the education aspect of it, because I’m going to France next spring semester, so I’m going to get [the foreign language] experience too.”

She raved about how emboldening and encouraging her professors were throughout the application process as well as continuing to be curious about her plans. “[Professor Benjamin White] was my linguistics professor and [Professor] Mary Beth Doyle was my education professor, 他们非常支持我. They helped me throughout the process,” she said. “Education Professor Valerie Bang-Jensen as well: she connected me with her niece who actually spent three years in 韩国, 我和她通了个电话. The professors I have talked to have been extremely supportive and have asked me a lot about it.”

Laquerre has a positive outlook on how the experience will inform her idea of her own global citizenship. “I’m definitely nervous about being in a new place for a pretty long time. 这是一种新的文化, 你对语言不熟悉, you’re unfamiliar with the customs… there’s so many unknowns, 但我想这就是它令人兴奋的地方, 因为你得自己想办法.”

杰弗里·艾尔斯

杰弗里·艾尔斯, director of the College’s 全球参与中心 and the chief adviser for the Freeman internship cohort since the program’s inception at Saint Michael’s, said other students in this year’s group include: Marisa Butzirus, 斯科特Czerwinski, 约书亚Doubiago, 阿德里安·哈伍德, 恩佐李, 弗兰克Loveland, Paulius Macijauskas, 约书亚马歇尔, 悉尼纳尔逊, 艾美特奥康奈尔, 卡森奥尼尔, 柳树Schaefer, 和尼古拉斯·塞尔瓦格.

佩吉Imai

除了艾尔斯, who is also a professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, the College’s Global Citizenship International Internship Program is managed collaboratively with 佩吉Imai, 留学办公室主任, 罗伯特·莱托夫斯基, 商业和会计教授.

罗伯特Letovsky

“After two difficult years where we had to cancel the planned internship placements for summer 2020 and summer 2021, we are excited that Saint Michael’s students will again be able to participate in-person in international internships in Seoul, 2022年夏天的韩国,艾尔斯说。.

他补充说, “these international internships are really an extraordinary opportunity for Saint Michael’s students to build on their academic success, grow personally and professionally and advance career readiness—we are really fortunate to have such a program available for our students at the College.”