Life in the exotic lane
Subhead: Two students reveal their hopes, anticipation, and aspirations for their 10-week internship in India
By James Lim – Student
On September 15, AIESEC Exchange participants Cliff Lin and Shawn Johnstone left for India on a developmental internship. This internship is a partnership between SFU’s International Co-op Program and AIESEC SFU. Cliff and Shawn will be working for the MaFoi Foundation, a non-government organization dedicated to fighting poverty, as well as other humanitarian work. This interview was conducted prior to their departure and captures their feelings, hopes, and thoughts about their upcoming 10-week internship.
Explain your involvement in AIESEC?
Shawn: I wasn’t in AIESEC prior to acquiring this job. I was aware of the brand name but I did not realize the organization was so extensive. When I signed up, I was told there were at least 40 different internships all over the world that I could choose from. I do plan to stay on in AIESEC when I come back, maybe even go on some management internships.
What will you be doing on your internship?
Cliff : I will be working in India, mostly conducting humanitarian work — empowering minorities, spreading awareness of the importance of sanitation; mostly a lot of teaching and training. I will be working closely with local humanitarian organizations such as the MaFoi Foundation, which is quite big in India with their volunteer and humanitarian work.
How do you think this position will benefit your future career?
Shawn: I hope to have a career in International Business, and I believe India is a popular destination for businesses seeking a global presence due to its status as an emerging economic power. That is why I believe this experience is useful, because I can get to know the Indian people and their culture. I might end up working in India again someday and this travel experience would definitely help prepare myself in anticipation of a future career. The details of this job don’t really matter very much, but the cultural experience is valuable. This job might even inspire me to work for NGOs in the future.
Would you encourage others to go on an exchange?
Cliff: I would say it depends on the individual. Some people are in it for the money and jobs such as this do not pay very well. I would say exchange internships are not for them because the monetary compensation is too low. However, the experience itself is worth a lot more. As a university student, I believe that jobs such as this are worth the expense.
Shawn: I would definitely encourage anyone and everyone to go on an exchange. Travelling is something that everyone should do either through internships or AIESEC exchanges. The experience of a foreign culture is always a life-changing experience. I am definitely expecting some culture shocks when I arrive in Chennai and that is what I want to experience. I believe the best way to experience another culture is to actually live there for a while.
AIESEC is an international student organization whose main function is to offer unmatched opportunities to ambitious students ready for a challenge in an exciting and dynamic environment. This is done through AIESEC’s Global Internship Program; which sends current AIESEC members abroad on international internships.
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