Taking Lehigh to the World and Bringing the World to LehighInternational Internship for
Global Leadership Program
Student Report

Fall 2013

OFFICE OF
INTERNATIONALAFFAIRS1

2013 International Internships
Table of Contents:
Individual Internships
Arot, Stephanie………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8-9
Barone, Alexandra………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16-17
Bok, Brandyn………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20-21
Boylan, Kimberly…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….22-23
Choi, Michelle…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………24-25
Clark, Christopher…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..26-27
Jacinto, Amanda……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..40-41
Law, Andrew………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….46-47
Leonhardt, Steven………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………48-49
Levengood, Gena……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……50-51
Ley, Brett……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………52-53
Nertavich, Dylan…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………56-57
Nicewicz, Sebastian…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………58-59
Oborna, Barbora………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………60-61
Rago, Isabella………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………72-73
Seonwoo, Jaewon…………………………………….…..…………………………………………………………………………………76-77
Smither, Henry…………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………80-81
Watson, Bruce…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………84-85
Wu, Zixun………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………88-89
Yankovskaya, Lyubov…………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………...90-91

Group Internships
Cambodia …………………………….…….... Baer (10-11), Baldwin (14-15), Diamond (30-31), Maruschak (54-55),
Popova (68-69), (Szumdis (83-84)
China ……………………………………………………………………...………………………………. Gray (36-37), Puzyucki (71-72)
Costa Rica ………………………………….………………… Coviello (28-29), Lau (44-45), Odren (62-63), Perry (66-67)
Malaysia ………………………………..………….…… Elsayed (32-33), Glover (34-35), Hetrick (38-39), Japar (42-43),
Richard (74-75), Shtarbanov (78-79)

Corporate Sponsored Internships
Becton Dickinson ……………………………………………………….………………………………Bauer (18-19), Willett (86-87)
3M ………………………………………………………………………………………….………………… Baker (12-13), Pavlov (64-65)

Internship Placements

Asia
19%
Eastern Europe
21%
Middle East
7%
Latin
America
10%Southeast Asia
43%

United Arab Emirates
UkraineSingapore
Moldova
Malaysia
KosovoKazakhstan
India
Hungary
Hong Kong
Georgia
Costa Rica
China
Cambodia
Armenia
0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

4

Geographic Representation

China cohort, 3
Malaysia
cohort, 6

Costa Rica
cohort, 4

Individualinternships, 24
Cambodiacohort, 65Intern Demographics
International Experience
Previous international
experience
First time abroad

Class Year
Graduate
7%
Senior9

34

Freshman
7%

7%

College
Sophomore
30%
AS
29%

Junior
49%

EN
45%

ED
7%

BU
19%

Student Financial Status
No NeedLow Need
Medium Need
High Need
0

5

10

15

20
6

7

Stephanie Arot
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

Area of Abu Dhabi where we worked

DeSimone Consulting
Engineering Intern

Photo from site survey

Company and Position Description:
DeSimone Consulting Engineers provides high-quality, creative structural engineering services
to architects, owners and developers. The firm’s breadth and diversity are key strengths thathave positioned them to best serve the clients needs. DeSimone performs structural analysis
and design for all types of buildings at all project phases. The firm has had tremendous successwith clients who insist on personal attention and demand inspired engineering.
As an intern at DeSimone, I assisted the Senior Project Engineer and Project Managers with avariety of tasks. Throughout the summer, I reviewed shop drawings, created marketingbrochures, performed site surveys, and researched construction industry trends in the Middle
East.

8

Stephanie Arot
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

Area of Abu Dhabi where we worked

DeSimone Consulting
Engineering Intern

Photo from site survey

Company and Position Description:
DeSimone Consulting Engineers provides high-quality, creative structural engineering services
to architects, owners and developers. The firm’s breadth and diversity are key strengths thathave positioned them to best serve the clients needs. DeSimone performs structural analysis
and design for all types of buildings at all project phases. The firm has had tremendous successwith clients who insist on personal attention and demand inspired engineering.
As an intern at DeSimone, I assisted the Senior Project Engineer and Project Managers with avariety of tasks. Throughout the summer, I reviewed shop drawings, created marketingbrochures, performed site surveys, and researched construction industry trends in the Middle
East.

9

Stephanie Arot
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Holding a falcon

The Burj Khalifa

Value Derived from the Experience: I found my time in Abu Dhabi to be quite alearning experience. The work I performed was unfulfilling, but throughout my time
there, I learned quite a bit about what it takes to work in another country, and also
learned how to be extremely autonomous in the work place. Socially, Abu Dhabi was
not very exciting since it was the month of Ramadan for most of the time we were
there, so we had to get creative about how we spent our free time. The things we didand places we went after work and on the weekends were amazing, and getting to dosuch things like going to a falcon hospital and holding falcons, doing yoga on thebeach, seeing the worlds tallest building, and seeing the beautiful architecture of the
Sheikh Zayed grand mosque were experiences that I will treasure forever. Being
exposed to a culture so vastly different from my own was an interesting, andsometimes overwhelming, experience. It is always fascinating to learn about others
cultures, even if you disagree with many of their customs and beliefs. I believe thatgetting to spend so much time in such a different place really helped me grow as aperson. One of the biggest challenges was spending the summer with only one otherperson. Since there was nobody at work for us to spend time with, we only had eachother. While it was a good support system for the time we were together, it was alsodifficult to not have anybody else. It forced us to get along, even though we may have
not wanted to, and taught me a lot about relationships with other people.

10

Allyson Baer
Kingdom of Cambodia
Comparative and International
Caring for Cambodia
Education
Career Preparation Program Intern

Position Description: Caring for Cambodia, or CFC, was founded in 2003 to provide asustainable, quality education for students by providing safe, technologically equippedschools, mentoring teachers to improve education quality, and providing funds andsupplies to make school a more child-friendly environment. CFC operates in government
schools and has educated over 8,500 students. CFC currently supports and partners withfive primary schools, two lower secondary schools, and two upper secondary schools (highschool), as well as numerous community preschools. At Bakong High School, a program
called the Career Corner has been implemented within the past two years. The program
began as a way to provide resources to students about applying to college, which careers
require which skills, and other opportunities available to students after graduating highschool. As the Career Preparation Program Intern, I worked to prepare the Career Cornerprogram to expand to the newly completed Aranh High School. I also created a series of
online and instructor-led modules and certificate programs geared towards general career
preparation as well as specific career opportunities in different job sectors in order toprepare high school students for internal and external internships with CFC and for their
future career opportunities after high school graduation.

Children enjoying a meal before classprovided by CFC’s Food for Thought
Program.
Students leaving class at CFC’s
Amelio Primary School.
11

Allyson Baer
Kingdom of Cambodia

Enjoying a trip to Angkor Wat, thelargest religious site in the world.

Students spending time
together eating before school.

Value Derived from the experience: I’m not sure there are words to describe how much
this experience has affected me both professionally and personally. The impact it has
had on me professionally is perhaps easiest to grasp. Interning with CFC has provided mewith invaluable insight into how non-governmental organizations both operate internallyand interact with their surrounding communities. Being a graduate student studying
Comparative and International Education, we discuss NGOs and their impact quite
frequently. Being able to actually work with an NGO for two months has provided mewith a completely new perspective and a greater appreciation for the work that is being
done by NGOs around the world. Being able to work specifically with a career
preparation program has given me hope that opportunities for Cambodian youth are
increasing as more and more NGOs and government initiatives have recognized theimportance of career preparation for the success and development of Cambodia’s future.
On a personal level, this experience has had a profound impact on how I view the world.
Despite Camdodia’s grim history, its people have a refreshing sense of optimism and asurprisingly positive outlook on their lives and futures. The people’s resilience andhappiness are evident in their day to day interactions. It has forced me to reconsider theway I interact with others and how I perceive our world’s problems. I feel very privileged
to have had the opportunity to work alongside Khmer people who are actively investingin the future of their country every day.
12

Deidre Baker
China
College of Engineering
Chemical Engineering

Taber Haze Instrument

3M & East China
University of Scienceand Technology

Instron Instrument

3M China Window Film Intern: During my 8 weeks in Shanghai, China, I worked in 3M
China’s Window Film Department. I performed numerous tests, including transmission, haze,reflection, liner release, and heat shrinkage rate, on new samples provided by the company. My
workdays were relaxed and everyone seemed to work at a very leisurely pace.
I gained considerable professional insight from this experience. Primarily, I
learned that I have little interest in a corporate environment, especially one as profit-driven as
3M. I would also appreciate a company that provides more guidance and hands-on training

13

Deidre Baker
China

Shanghai City Exposition

Qibao Old Town

Value Derived from the Experience: Spending 8 weeks in Shanghai was a challenging
experience. The language barrier was definitely the greatest difficulty to overcome. Having noknowledge of Chinese at all, I was at a severe disadvantage from the beginning, and without any
formal guidance or support from the hosting university or the company, I encountered many
hardships, even in daily interactions such as purchasing meals and navigating my way around thecity. As trying as the experience was, I learned that I am able to endure tough times and thateven without being able to communicate fluently or consistently, most Chinese people arewilling to help when they can. Shanghai is certainly an expensive city and popular tourist
destination, but living there for an extended period of time is very difficult.
While with the Chinese partner students, we discussed various aspects of Chinese
culture and compared them with the American culture. These talks really opened my eyes to thegreat differences between the U.S. and China and made me further appreciate all theopportunities and freedoms that exist here.

14

Aftan Baldwin
The Kingdom of Cambodia
College of Education:
MA Comparativeand International
Education

Cambodian Center for
the Protection ofChildren’s Rights
InternCompany and Position Description:
The Cambodian Center for the Protection of Children’s Rights (CCPCR) is one of the oldest NGOs
in Cambodia. It was created in 1994 and currently operates in over 5 provinces of Cambodia.
There are several children’s shelters, halfway houses, and community development programs
run by the organization. CCPCR works both with victims and families, working towards theeradication of child exploitation and abuse within in Cambodia. As an intern at CCPCR, my
primary responsibilities include: website and social media maintenance, report editing,curriculum development, basic capacity building, and resistance building activities with thechildren in the shelters.

In the 1970’s, Cambodia suffered a genocide thateliminated one third of the population, targeting the
educated and elite. Many children were leftorphaned and those orphans are now struggling toensure the healthy and safety of their own children.
One of the girls at a CCPCR shelter (left), and CCPCR
staff (above).
15

Aftan Baldwin
The Kingdom of Cambodia

One of the CCPCR social workers
working with a family.

The children at CCPCR

Value Derived from the Experience: After the genocide in the 1970s, Cambodia’s education
system, economy, and infrastructure were nearly nonexistent. The country still relies heavily on
foreign aid and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the resolution of these issues. Many
foreign workers have their own agendas when it comes to the development of Cambodia andthese agendas may not always coincide with the ideas the Khmer have for their country. It has
been very beneficial for me to see these interactions first hand and see how each NGO andforeign aid worker function differently within the Cambodian context. CCPCR is in atransformation stage. As the organization works comfortably on the grassroots level, it also seeks
to satisfy donors and comply with international standards. There is both Khmer and foreign staff
at CCPCR and many of them must be able to work well in both cultural contexts for work to beaccomplished. Another benefit this experience had, was being able to see a country that, eventhough it has been through so much devastation, its people still have the motivation to improveupon their situation. This reaffirms my belief that change is possible no matter the circumstance,and motivates me to work harder in my everyday life to make the world a better place.

16

Alexandra Barone
Kazakhstan
Arts and Sciences
International Relations

Eurasia Foundation ofCentral Asia Intern

EFCA is a non-profit organization founded in Almaty in 2005. EFCA’s projects aim to strengthen
the civil society capacity of the people in Kazakhstan. The subjects of its projects include
human rights, business corruption, youth, disabled persons, etc. During my internship I worked
closely with the Research and Development office. My tasks included proof-reading andediting, translation, research, and grant writing. EFCA allowed me to explore my special
interest in CSR by working on their project aimed at increasing CSR practices in Kazakhstan. I
was also invited to attend meetings with other local NGOs, the American Chamber ofCommerce, and Amnesty International.

Zenkov Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox
Church and the second tallest woodenbuilding in the world

Yurt, a traditional Kazakh house17

Alexandra Barone
KazakhstanFirst President’s Park

Mountains of Almaty

My experience in Almaty taught me how important it is to be able to adapt to any
situation or environment. The culture of Almaty was very different than anything
I had ever experienced. It was extremely valuable to gain perspective of a culture
so different from the Western norm I am accustomed to. I was able to engage inconversations with many different people and fully immerse myself in the Kazakh
culture. My biggest obstacle while living in Almaty was having no knowledge ofRussian. The Russian language is extremely dominant in Almaty. Everyone
engages conversation in Russian and all of the signs are in Russian. This handicap
forced me to be extremely resourceful to navigate the city and get to know
people. This experience taught me that I am capable of adapting to extremely
foreign environments in unfavorable circumstances. I am eager to apply thelessons I learned here to my personal and professional life.

18Christina Bauer
China
College of BusinessBusiness Information
Systems

Becton Dickinson
Strategic
Planning Intern

Position Descriptions: Becton Dickinson is a medical technology company that
manufacturers a wide array of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment
and diagnostic devices to various healthcare institutions, life science researchersand clinical laboratories. As a summer intern at BD’s Shanghai office I, along withmy co-intern were responsible for working on a Greater Asia Healthcare
Factbook. Our responsibilities for this project entailed compiling data regarding
the various healthcare systems throughout BD’s Greater Asia region, drawing
inferences from these findings and creating a detailed power point presentation
with a variety of graphs illustrating what we had found along with detailed
analysis. In addition to these slides we were also responsible for writing a brief
narrative to go along with our presentation.

Insert photo here(with small
caption below)

Asia Factbook Team Portrait

Business trip to Beijing19

Christina Bauer
China

The Bund at night

The Forbidden City

Value Derived from the Experience: In addition to gaining career-related experience, thisinternship taught me a lot about myself as a person. Especially with the language barrier, andhaving no prior experience with the Chinese language, living in China was definitely not easy. I
learned how to adapt quickly to a challenging environment and to be open to trying new things.
Luckily, Lehigh connected my co-intern and me to some incredible people who made us feel
welcome and cared for during our stay. In addition, being immersed in a new culture was a great
experience because I was able to push myself outside of my comfort zone and realize that I canovercome anything that is thrown my way.
I would definitely recommend this type of internship to anyone because it was
one of the most rewarding, eye-opening experiences that I have ever had. This internshipallowed me to gain insight into China, a country I had never considered visiting prior to thissummer and made me more aware of what Asia has to offer. Additionally, this internshipexperience has also made me more globally curious, and has inspired me to travel to othercountries that I had never considered in the past. Finally, one last thing that my time in China hastaught me is the importance of keeping an international perspective and how it is the key tosuccess in today’s globalized economy.

20Brandyn Bok
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Rossin College of Engineering
IBE – Mechanical Engineer

DeSimone Consulting
Structural Engineer

DeSimone Consulting Engineers – Abu Dhabi, UAE:
DeSimone Consulting Engineers is a structural engineering firm that provides creative structural
services to architects, investors, and developers. DeSimone performs structural design andanalysis for all types of buildings at all project phases. DeSimone’s Abu Dhabi office opened in2008 and currently is working on Middle East projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, andQatar.
During my time as an intern at DeSimone’s Abu Dhabi office, I performed a variety of work on avariety of different projects. I spent a majority of my time conducting market research in
Middle East construction industry, and at the end of my internship, I presented my findings to
the directors of the office. I also did some site surveying work for ADNOC Medical Center,structural shop drawing review for Al Hilal Bank Tower, and compiled the structural steel
product specifications for Al Hilal Bank Tower, and compiled the structural steel productspecifications for Al Wafra Seef.

Corniche Boardwalk overlooking the Arabian Gulf, Abu
Dhabi

The Burj Khalifa, Dubai

21

Brandyn Bok
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Consulting
Engineers

Al Jahlil Fort, Al Ain

Emirates Park Zoo, Abu Dhabi

Value Derived from the Experience:
While the field I worked in was slightly outside of the scope of my major, themost important value I gained from this experience extends much further thantechnical skills. From a professional standpoint, I learned how a consulting
engineering firm operates. I was able to see how a business expands
internationally. I feel as though most of the work I did really helped DeSimone’s
Abu Dhabi office establish itself in the region and learn more about how tosucceed in the Middle East. From regularly conducting market research in the
Middle East construction industry and presenting a report the to directors of thecompany, I was able to understand some of the challenges faced by internationalfirms.
Outside of the workplace, I was able to immerse myself completely in a foreign
Eastern culture. From getting to interact with animals like falcons and giraffes, tobargaining at traditional Arabic markets called “souqs”, to experiencing both thechallenges sand festivities during Ramadan, and learning some great life lessons,this is an experience I will truly never forget. Also, because this internship marked
not only my first time traveling outside of the US, but also my longest time awayfrom home, I have become a much more independent and responsible person by
overcoming the daily challenges of living in another country so far away fromhome for an extended period of time.

22

Savannah Boylan
Georgia
Arts and Sciences
International Relations

State Ministry for European
and Euro-Atlantic Integration
InternPosition Description:
As an Intern for the Office of the State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, I
was able to work first hand on English official government documents, press releases, andvarious forms regarding editing and grammar. Every year the Ministry organizes an International
Conference for members of the EU and the Eastern Partnership. As an Intern, I was able to help
prepare and coordinate the conference. This year, I was the first intern to attend and work at
the conference where I co-wrote the welcome speech for the Minister and worked with thelogistics of the conference. As an intern, I was also able to write political reviews andsummaries of key EU integration documents.

My boss and me in front of the official logo
of our Ministry

At the International Conference23

Savannah Boylan
Georgia

Value Derived from the Experience:
My experiences in the Republic of Georgia have shaped my perception on International Relations
and has offered me a real world application of the knowledge that I have gained in theclassroom. As a rising Junior, I was able to spend two months with an organization in which I
enjoyed going to work every morning and hated to leave every evening. One of my favorite
memories is working with the Deputy Minister to write the Minister’s speech until 2am, and notleaving our desk until I had to be pulled away to get some sleep. It is not often that people find acareer in which they truly enjoy their work, and I am so grateful that I found such an experience.
Working in a foreign country creates new challenges to the workforce, and learning to adapt to a
new work culture was a challenge. Yet the skills that I gained this summer were invaluable, andhas allowed me to be able to become more independent and versatile. I now feel comfortablewith the uncomfortable, having worked and lived in a foreign country. I know that in whatever
future employment that I seek, I will be able to confidently say to any employer that I am able toadapt and succeed in any venture.

Local protests outside of
the building

Entrance to the Sate Ministry24Michelle Choi
UkraineArts and Sciences
American Councils forSociology and Women, Gender, International Education: Openand Sexuality Studies
World Leadership
InternCompany and Position Description: The Open World Leadership Program in Ukraine focuses on
Ukrainian and American exchange in education and business. The program works withexchange between Ukrainian professionals (Government officials, Doctors, Professors, etc.) andtheir American counterparts to learn and grasp a better understanding of how their profession
works in America. My job is to conduct lectures on American culture and American University
culture, act as an American liaison to help students and business professions with anyquestions, translate everything into English, write up application guidelines, and edit manuals.
My personal summer project was to conduct a Gender Equality seminar comparing andcontrasting topics between America and Ukraine, for professions in nonprofit work or areinterested in gender issues. After the lecture, I conducted a training session for the attendees.

Ukrainian Traditional Headpiece called Vinok

St. Sophia Church

25

Michelle Choi
UkraineMaidan Nezalezhnosti

Me with my Babuschka

Value Derived from the Experience:
Working for American Councils for International Education gave me a new perspective of the
career path I want to go into after graduation. I was given the flexibility to work on projects andassignments that I enjoyed doing and in areas that I wanted to focus on. Having control of myown projects helped me strengthen the areas I am weak in while improving and expanding myskills. This prepared me more for post-graduation work and enhanced my resume.
My experience living in Ukraine was much more than just work, however. I was fortunate enoughto live with the best host mom and babuschka (grandma), who took me into their home withwide, open arms. By the end of the first week together, I felt so comfortable with them and intheir home that it felt as if I was there for months. Luckily, the people I worked with were just as
amazing. Within the company I had a small community and having that sense of community andfamily while you are in a foreign country can make the biggest difference.
Living in a country I knew very little about helped me grow and understand myself and the world
with new eyes. I appreciate what I have more than ever before but also hunger for more
exploration because of all the things I fell in love with. There is a larger world out there and with
Ukraine, I was able to learn about a new language, culture, people, views, lifestyles, and ofcourse, cuisine. This summer has been one of the best times of my life and there will always be a
special place in my heart for Ukraine.

26

Christopher Clark
HungaryEngineering & Applied Science
Metem Corporation
Industrial Engineering
Quality Engineering Intern

Metem is a privately owned company that machines turbine blades and vanes for major
companies in the power generation and aerospace industries. Specifically, Metem drills very
precise cooling holes into turbine engine components made of superalloy materials using ECM(electrochemical machining) and EDM (electrical discharge machining) techniques. These
cooling holes allow the turbine engines to run at hotter temperatures, and to operate forlonger periods of time. Metem currently operates three facilities with several hundred
employees worldwide, and it hopes to expand in the future as interest in and demand fornatural gas power grows. At Metem, I worked with members of the quality engineering team to
analyze and improve the efficiency of their systems and processes using lean manufacturing
techniques. I was involved in several projects, during which I had to collect and analyze data on
various performance measures of interest, then propose and evaluate some necessary changes
in order to optimize process flow and information flow throughout the facility.

Insert photo here(with small
caption below)

Spending a weekend in Prague.

Me, Steve, and co-workers at a
mountain lake in Poland.
27

Christopher Clark
Hungary

With Niki and Aliz, HR specialists

Százhalombatta

Value Derived from the Experience:
This experience has been a great opportunity for me to grow both professionally and personally.
Living in Central Europe was very exciting, and I got to travel around the area a lot over thecourse of the two-month internship period. Everyone at Metem was very kind and welcoming tome. Having the chance to immerse myself in Hungarian culture by speaking to the people there
has broadened my perspective and given me greater insight in life. I learned a great deal about
how the company operates and the technology that they use. Having the opportunity to work
alongside the shop floor workers and managers at the facility has provided me with valuable
experience, and I feel much better prepared for the future as a result. I was also very impressedwith the tight-knit nature of the Metem community. I feel much more confident as a result of
this experience, and it’s something that I will remember and appreciate for the rest of my life.

28

Dan CovielloCosta Rica
College of Engineering
B.S. Environmental
Engineering

The Iacocca Foundation
Service and Sustainable
Development Internship

Company and Position Description:
The mission of UGA Costa Rica is to advance its understanding—through instruction, researchand outreach—of the interconnected nature of human and environmental systems, particularly
the concepts of socio-cultural, ecological, and economic sustainability. Launched in January of
2008, the UGA Costa Rica Carbon Program seeks to fulfill UGA Costa Rica’s mission by offsetting
carbon emissions related to travel, and restoring critical lost habitat on degraded pasturelands
where tropical rainforests once stood. These new forests will help to improve forest
connectivity throughout the Pájaro Campana Biological Corridor, and carbon offset purchases
through the UGA Costa Rica Carbon Program will directly contribute to the establishment of
new habitat for the three-wattled bellbird (known in Spanish as Pájaro Campana, the flagshipspecies for the corridor) and the resplendent quetzal, two migratory species greatly impacted
by habitat loss in this region. As an intern, I was able to conduct field work and aid in databasemanagement which were two critical needs for the success of the program.

Hiking to conduct field work

Arial view of the Bellbird BiologicalCorridor29

Dan CovielloCosta Rica

Area where Lehigh aided inturtle watches

Homestay within San Luis,CR

Value Derived from the Experience:
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Lehigh in Costa Rica and while I was in the
country I tried to make the most out of my experience. I entered into the program with basegoals of learning more Spanish, adapting to the lifestyle, and connecting my lessons learned to
my future formal studies. My homestay family was an integral part of my time in Costa Rica
because they welcomed me into their home with open arms and they had a willingness to teachme about the economic, social and environmental issues that affect them daily. As a student andintern I learned to appreciate the balance of work and play that exists within the small
community of San Luis, CR. While myself and the other interns worked hard on our projects, wealways took time to recognize where we were and enjoy the biodiversity that existed all aroundus. As I move forward with my studies and start my masters degree at Lehigh University in
Environmental Policy Design I will take away several key lessons that I have learned from my timein Costa Rica.
1) Understanding the needs versus the wants of a community is an important first step in a
project and it is important to reassess those needs and wants once the project has started.
2) Working side by side with community members to educate them about their actions helps tocreate ownership within the project.
3) What may seem effective on paper is often adapted and changed once someone starts to
conduct field work.

30

Amie Diamond
Cambodia
College: Business
Major: Marketing &Management

Caring for Cambodia
Volunteer Trip &Student Activities

Company and Position Description:
Contemporary Cambodia has faced numerous educational barriers since the destructionof Cambodian society, brought upon by the Cambodian Genocide of the 1970s. Under the
Khmer Rouge schools were shut down, educated people and teachers were executed, andan entire generation of Cambodian children grew up illiterate. The entire educational
system is in the process of being recreated. Caring for Cambodia is an NGO that is working
to provide high-quality education to students, as well as transportation, food, andsupplies, factors that often are overlooked as inhibitors of a child’s access to education.
CFC is not only trying to change the lives of the students at it’s several Caring for
Cambodia schools, but also the lives of local community members in the Siem Reap
province, through maternal health and child development outreach classes. With the helpof donors, school partnerships, and supply drives, CFC has had a remarkable impact, andis even working with the Cambodian government to institute further change in non-CFC
schools.

Together let’s see itthrough.

Give Back, Make New
Friends, M ake a Dif f erence
Inside·Cambodian Education·

Background of Caring
for Cambodia·

Caring for Cambodia’s
5 Programs·

Additional Resources·

Feedback

Thank you for joining our team ofenthusiastic volunteers! Whatever yourbackground, we are confident that you
have a skill to contribute. Volunteering
at Caring for Cambodia can be a lifechanging experience, and every hour
you are able to give directly impacts the
future of a child.

Follow m e to the next page

Lead a Leadership Activity with Student
Council Members at a CFC school.

1

Cover page of the Volunteer
Education Packet I created for CFC.
31

Amie Diamond
Cambodia

CFC interns enjoy a day of visiting thetemples of Angkor Wat.

Interns pictured with a CFC student
council after a meeting.

Value Derived from the Experience:
My two-month internship in Cambodia was an incredible experience. It challenged me to work in
an environment where a language barrier and extreme poverty were ever-present. Witnessing thepersonal struggles that individuals experience in Cambodia, fueled my work professionally. At one
student council meeting that I lead a game at, a member of the council was crying because it would
be her last meeting. At the tender age of 12, her parents were forcing her to drop out of school andget a job so that she could contribute towards the family income. This is a common educational
hurdle in Cambodia. It was learning about this, the history of the Cambodian genocide, andelements of contemporary Cambodian culture that increased my desire to perform all myinternship duties to the best of my ability. I created a Volunteer Education Packet for my internshipthat detailed the educational challenges and history of education in Cambodia, while explaining
what Caring for Cambodia is doing to counteract these deep-rooted issues. Learning about thisinformation made me a more knowledgeable person on the surface, and it also developed mycritical thinking skills in understanding the motives behind CFC programs that were implemented toconfront the educational barriers in Cambodia. Furthermore, my internship allowed me to cultivate
skills that I have developed at Lehigh, such as writing for a global audience and creating an artistic
yet informative visual display. Personally and professionally, I could not have imagined a more
rewarding and eye-opening experience.

32

Heba Elsayed
Malaysia
College of Engineering
Civil Engineering

Universiti Teknologi Petronas
Research InternCompany and Position Description:
Universiti Teknologi Petronas was recently established by the Malaysian oil company, Petronas.
I had the privilege to the university for a 7 week research attachment program. My project,
Deepshore Technology, was specifically based on offshore structures with Dr. Kurian, my
supervisor. I studied the wave and current forces on a vertical pipe in the ocean, conducting
model tests in the wave tank related to hydrodynamic coefficients. It was a great learning
experience generating waves in the wave tank lab, since we don’t have anything like that at
Lehigh. After several weeks in the lab, I analyzed the data using Matlab and Excel. In the
meanwhile, I also completed the TPA-UTP Lecture Program. Professors hired by the French gas
and power company, Total, come to the university and give a week long course on offshore
technology topics. During my 7 week experience, I learned so much about a topic that I might
not have been able to explore at Lehigh.

Volunteering at a nearby orphanage

Visiting the Cameron Highlands
33

Heba Elsayed
Malaysia

Attending a faculty member’s traditional
Malaysian wedding

Attending a soccer game final

Value Derived from the Experience:
I knew I wanted to study abroad somewhere that was completely different culturally than theStates. I was looking for an entirely new experience. And that’s exactly what I got when I went to
Malaysia. Even the mundane details that we overlook in our daily lives were dissimilar. For
example, I’ve tasted the most interesting fruits that I’ve never seen before at the weekly nightmarket. Also, something I noticed in Malaysia is how relaxed and laid back everyone is, which
was refreshing coming from a fast pace northeastern background. I never once felt unwelcomed;
Malaysians are the nicest people.
I also value the friendships I made in my journey to Malaysian. The relationships I establishedwith the students at UTP will last even after I leave. I value all the amazing and life changing
memories I made with these people during our trips around Malaysia. Some of my favorite
places we went to were Kuala Lumpur, the night market, a nearby waterfall, and the island of
Penang.
Overall this trip was better than I expected it to be. I genuinely enjoyed every aspect of it, andwould recommend other students to apply.

34

Curtis Glover
Malaysia
College of Engineering
Civil Engineering

Universiti Teknologi Petronas
Research Assistant

Position Description: I worked at the Petronas Technology University as a research assistant in
the Civil Engineering Department. I was paired with a professor and two graduate students. My
advisor gave me the task of testing a new material called Maerogel. This is a new and cheap
version of aerogel that was developed in 2006 in Malaysia. My task was to test the material
when used as an additive in concrete. I would make small concrete cubes with varying amountsof Maerogel added and test for compressive strength, porosity and thermal conductivity. The
country is looking to use it as a building material to help keep houses cooler and save on energy
consumption.

The Petronas twin towers

View from Penang Hill

35

Curtis Glover
Malaysia

Campus View

School Library

Value Derived from the Experience:
Being able to do almost everything on my own was a great lesson in responsibility. I learned
about performing research as I was conducting it and I think it made things easier for me tounderstand. That as well as creating my own schedule so that I was able to finish my project in atimely manner was another lesson that I will carry into my professional career. None of thiswould have been possible without the instant respect I received from my advisor and him
trusting in my abilities. It was something I was very unsure about before I arrived but it wasnever an issue and for that I am truly grateful. From his example I will always remember to give
people a chance to prove themselves before passing judgment on their abilities.

36

Kylie Gray
China
College of Arts and Sciences
EnglishEast China University of
Science and Technology
Pre-service Teacher

Company and Position Description:
I worked as a pre-service teacher of ESL students at East China University of Science andTechnology. Monday through Thursday, I led two to four new English classes for one period
each, meeting hundreds of new students each day. I created lessons based upon what theteachers requested, which was most often related to American culture. Some favorite topics ofthe students were campus life, making friends, dating life, and cultural differences. Other times,
a teacher asked me to teach from the book or just observe. I also took Chinese lessons for one
period each day, and on Fridays the group met to discuss the week’s experiences.

Insert photo here(with small
caption below)

Me giving a presentation on campus life to mystudents

Insert photo here(with small
caption below)

Our meeting room

37

Kylie Gray
China

Me at a suburb of Shanghai

Jake and me at the Great Wall

Value Derived from the Experience:
My internship in China was one of the most personally and professionally valuable
experiences of my life. Professionally, I was exposed to a new career path that I hadn’t
previously explored. I realized that teaching English as a second language could be an exciting
and rewarding way to break into the job market and see the world after I graduate. I truly
enjoyed the work that I did, from planning each lesson to interacting with the students andgetting them excited about learning English.
It was extremely gratifying to see myself improve my teaching abilities over thefive weeks. By reflecting upon my experiences and applying feedback from professors, I adapted
my lessons to become more affective. I also gained many personal skills as a teacher. By the endof the experience, I was able to speak slower, feel more confident, and ask the right kinds ofquestions to get the students engaged and talking.
Personally, I will always cherish the memories I have of climbing the Great Wall,participating in a tea ceremony, and exploring Shanghai. I had not previously traveled much, so
being in a culture so opposite of mine was enlightening and invigorating. I learned a lot “outsideof the classroom” and feel extremely grateful for the experience!

38

Kimberly Hetrick
Malaysia
College of Engineering
Universiti Teknologi Petronas
Environmental Engineering
Research InternCompany and Position Description:
Universiti Teknologi Petronas is a private university in Perak, Malaysia, funded by the Petronas
oil company. The university allows engineering students from Lehigh to travel there for sevenweeks to conduct research in a field fitting to their majors. The research that I conducted wasin the field of environmental engineering. I worked to remove chlorpyrifos from wastewater,
chemically, and to find the optimum ratios of chemicals to add to the water to remove thepesticide efficiently. A proposal was written, individual research was conducted, and a research
article was written to be published in a scientific journal.

Insert photo here(with small
caption below)

Research Group, Environmental Engineering,
Universiti Teknologi Petronas 2013

Insert photo here(with small
caption below)

Universiti Teknologi Petronas

39

Kimberly Hetrick
Malaysia

Snake Temple, Perak

Malaysia Final Soccer Match, Kuala Lumpur

Value Derived from the Experience:
Interning abroad in Malaysia taught me not only how to conduct environmental research with amore global perspective, but also how to think of different cultures across the globe. Everythingin Malaysia is different than it is in the United States: the food, the religion, the language, andthe list goes on and on. Being placed somewhere entirely different from what I was used totaught me to really be able to adapt to any situation that I may be placed in both professionallyand socially, but it also taught me to appreciate other cultures. I learned so much about how
people live in Malaysia, and I really feel like this experience will make me more open to doing
anything “out of the ordinary” in the future.
Everyone that I met in the country was so kind and helpful, and it made me realize that this is
how we should treat other people who are different than us; we should help and befriend, notostracize and ignore. This research experience has really taught me to appreciate and celebrate
the differences in people, not shy away from them.
The lab that I worked in also taught me how to think of environmental problems with a global
perspective. Environmental engineering is a field that deals with similar issues around the world,and my project dealt with a problem that is felt in many regions. It taught me of the necessities
of international cooperation on environmental issues , and how interconnected communicationand engineering actually are.

40

Amanda Jacinto
Singapore
College of Business/Engineering
Accounting & Finance

Aon Hewitt
Talent Sourcing andEngagement Analyst

Company and Position Description:
Aon Hewitt is a subsidiary of Aon Pte Ltd. It is an American provider of human capital andmanagement consulting services.
I work under the regional talent sourcing and engagement team dealing specifically with theBest Employers Study. My daily responsibilities have consisted of analyzing the data that has
been collected for the latest study to create reports that will be used internally and distributed
to clients.
I have had two major projects which contributed to the Best Employers Study during myinternship with Aon Hewitt. I had to use a market-level perspective to create Country Reports
for 9 countries in the Asia Pacific Region as well as a client-level perspective to create Case
Studies for 35 of the company’s individual clients.

Tiong Bahru Park

Tiong Bahru Market
41

Amanda Jacinto
Singapore

Value Derived from the Experience:
Singapore was the perfect place to go for my first experience outside of the United States. It is avery industrialized and diverse country.
Culturally, there are many foreign concepts that I have had to grasp, but also many reminders ofhome. It has allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone to a degree that is not too
overwhelming. Singapore is an extremely safe, clean, and efficient country. The people are very
friendly and I was able to make many friends that I hope to keep in touch with in the future.
Singapore is a relatively new country with a foundation built on four different cultures –Malaysian, Indian, Chinese, and European. Therefore, it is extremely diverse. There aredesignated neighborhoods where you can experience one distinct culture at a time, however,the country is generally an even mix of the four.
Professionally, I was able to experience the corporate world for the first time. It challenged me
and taught me things I could not learn in the classroom. Although the internship did not alignwith my major, I was able to learn soft skills that will apply in any career path that I may choose.
Additionally, I was exposed to the internal operations of a large corporation which are largely
unknown to the general public.

Above: Supertrees at the Gardens By the Bay

Right: Siloso Beach, Sentosa
42

Abdul Rahman Japar
Malaysia
P.C Rossin College of Engineeringand Applied Sciences
Mechanical Engineering

Universiti Teknologi Petronas
Research InternCompany and Position Description:
For the internship, I worked with the Mechanical Engineering Department of
Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) as a research intern. UTP is one of the top university in
Malaysia that specialized in engineering study especially petroleum engineering. The title of myresearch is Co-gasification of Biomass and I have been assigned to work with Professor Dr.
Shaharin Anuar Sulaiman and Mr. Samson Mekbib Atnaw, a graduate student in UTP. The
research focused on co-gasification of oil palm fronds (OPF) and biomass as these are the mostabundant type of biomass available in Malaysia. Our scope of work involved in investigating thepresence of syngas during the co-gasification process . We also observed the temperature
profile of the process and compared it with the literature result that we have. In the end, I am
required to write a report on my research and submit it to Professor Shaharin for research
paper publication.

UTP Library/Research Center

Downdraft Gasifier Used in
Research

43

Abdul Rahman Japar
Malaysia

Career Opportunity
Discussion with Petronas

Visit to an Orphanage in
Perak, Malaysia

Value Derived from the Experience:
I learned a lot of things from my research work in UTP. Working together with aprofessor and a graduate student on research has taught me a lot about the processes and skills
required to conduct good research. From the research itself, I learned how a scientific research
can contribute to the development of technology. In UTP, we also had a chance to explore otherplaces around the area. Interaction with the local students on the other hand enabled us to
explore the places and cultures around UTP area. Beside the local students, I also interacted withother international students . This positive interaction has allowed me to learn about outside
cultures and lifestyle. From this internship, we also had a chance to discuss with the higher ups
about career opportunity in Petronas. Petronas is one of the biggest oil company in Malaysia andUTP itself is a part of Petronas. The discussion is a great opportunity as it gave us a broad idea
about career opportunity in Malaysia. Overall, the research internship is a great opportunity andit certainly helped me acquire valuable research experience.

44Erin K. Lau
Costa Rica
College of Arts and Sciences
Earth and Environmental Science

Measuring tree diameters

Lehigh in Costa Rica
InternGetting ready for work

Conservación Osa, Centro de Conservación Greg Gund :Conservación Osa is all about conservation. Greg Gund Conservation Center, the station where I
was placed, was built on an old teak and pachote plantation which had cleared the naturalforest to farm these types of wood. After buying the land, Conservación Osa worked with other
Costa Rican companies to rebuild the natural forests. Piro Biological Station, another station
nearby, works with camera traps recording the movement of the big cats of the area as well as
sea turtle nests and protection. Regular patrols went out to check the camera traps and torecord turtle movement and nests. As a part of my work at Conservación Osa, I, along with mygroup, assisted another intern with his project, to measure and identify trees to measure theircarbon content. Our project was also to measure height, diameter at root crown, tag, andidentify recently-planted native trees to understand mortality and survivability in order to aid
reforestation efforts.

45

Erin K. Lau
Costa Rica

Identifying trees to be measured

Zip-lining!

Value Derived from the Experience:
Working at Conservación Osa made me appreciate primary and secondary forests in addition to
the conservation of the natural beauty of the forest. While out in the field, we saw animals suchas monkeys, iguanas, snakes, and bizarrely colored bugs of every shape and size. Travelingbetween stations, we helped record and tag turtles and their nests and also helped to movethem out of the reach of the tide. We were told very often how lucky we were to be sent toConservación Osa because there are very few places where we could see the natural beauty we
did. In addition being assigned to such an isolated place with a limited amount of people thatspoke English helped me to practice my Spanish and has helped to improve my grasp of thelanguage.
On a professional level, working at Conservación Osa drove me to work above and beyond what
was expected of me. Each person in my group pushed ourselves for greater levels of efficiency
and punctuality in order to complete the greatest amount of work possible in the days we were
given. Working with such drive for efficiency helped me to improve my ability to stay focusedand on track.

46

Andrew Chung Chee Law
ChinaEngineering and Applied Science
Mechanical Engineering

Bracalente Manufacturing
Engineering InternCompany and Position Description:
Bracalente Manufacturing Products (BMP) is a wholly owned manufacturing facility by
Bracalente Manufacturing Groups (BMG) . I was grateful to get this golden opportunity to do anengineering internship in the company. Throughout the whole internship period, I worked
under two major departments which were quality department and engineering department.
My major tasks in quality department were to help the quality manager on auditing quality
process in the company and executing statistical process control (SPC) for detecting possible
failure trend during the production. When I worked under engineering department, I was giventasks to draw different parts in Solidworks and Autocad, engineering 3-D drawing software.
During the period, I was mentored by the engineering supervisor on learning computer
numerical control (CNC) technique. On the side task, I took photos of company, staffs andworkers, and equipment for the usage of company marketing purpose.

BMP located in Suzhou, China

Inside of BMP with machines and workers

47Andrew Chung Chee Law
China

Quality Inspection

CNC Machine

Value Derived from the Experience:
The most valuable experience I’ve gained from this internship was the ability to adapt. I learnt
that the ability to adapt is a critical skill in a new and different environment. With the ability tounderstand and speak Mandarin, I was able to adapt quickly by becoming part of the company ina short time. The working environment in manufacturing company is very engaging because
challenges never end in quality and engineering departments. We face, discuss and solve
problems every day. This environment has engaged me on analyzing problems from different
perspectives. During the process, I learnt that teamwork is also critical to come out effective
solutions every time.
Furthermore, I really like the company working culture because everyone respects each other.
Before I came to China, I attended two brief orientations to know better about the company andstaffs. These orientations were helpful to prepare me to work with a group of friendly colleagues
whom later we become friends. During this period, we help each other in company like family do
and hang up outside work like friends. do Whenever I have questions, my colleagues are always
there to lend me a hand. I am thankful to have the opportunity to intern in BMP and know a lotof awesome friends. Overall, this experience is beyond words could describe because it hashelped me to gain insight in my future career path and prepare me to an engaging working
environment.

48

Steve Leonhardt
Hungary
B.S. Computer Engineering
B.S. Finance (IBE)

Metem Corporation
Project Leader

Company and Position Description: Metem Corporation is a global supplier of machining
for leading companies in the power generation and aerospace industries. They use advanced
machining processes to create cooling conduits in the tough super alloys turbine blades are
generally made from. My general project at Metem Europe was to create a system to better
store and organize information regarding machine downtime and machine maintenance
downtime. This information could then be analyzed to create insight into ways to improve theiroperations.

Morskie Oko, a mile high glaciallake in Poland

Buda Castle overlooking the Danube
and Parliament

49

Steve Leonhardt
Hungary

With Laszlo, General Manager on
our last day of work

The center of Százhalombatta

Value Derived from the Experience: The internship and time spent in Hungary really taught
me how to be self-sufficient, professional, and how to interact with colleagues to benefit abusiness as well as each other. I learned how a business with facilities in America as well as
Europe operates and communicates. Overall, it gave me a better picture of what I want topursue in the coming years of my life.
I now have a better picture of my strengths and weaknesses. I think that working during the
weekdays and exploring during the weekends gave me a sense of control over my own
experience, and I think through that I gained a lot of maturity. I realized that the experience wascompletely what I made of it, and that it was worth it to always push the boundaries of mycomfort zone. I now want to carry this philosophy and energy over to life back in America.
Because of the professionalism and experiences, I feel more mindful and confident as I approachobstacles in the future.

50Gena Levengood
Armenia
Integrated Business/Engineering
Industrial Engineering

Boghossian Gardens
International InternCompany and Position Description:
The Boghossian Foundation and UrbanLab have teamed up to create the visuallystunning Lovers’ Park in the capital city of Yerevan, Armenia. Unlike its predecessor(Pushkin Park), Lovers’ Park features an array of gorgeous foliage and a real opportunity tolose oneself for the afternoon in its splendor. Attractive to children, young couples, andadults alike, Lovers’ Park provides a space for entertainment as well as a Zen-like feel tothose who wish to relax and enjoy nature’s beauty. By numbers, 40 benches have beenplaced and grounded to provide seating for the park patrons throughout the 2-acre space.
During my internship, I was able to update CAD drawings of the park as well as create
and organize a library of reference books in the office. I also worked with landscapearchitects to determine optimal locations for new plants and ordered materials frominternational suppliers for the new children’s playground implementation.

Workmates on an adventure

A Night at the Ballet

Multi-Nations Hike
51

Gena Levengood
Armenia

Mount Ararat

Host family at Etchmyadzin

Value Derived from the Experience:
This being my first time travelling outside of the United States, I guess some could say hopping
on a plane the day after graduation, to a country I had minimal knowledge of, that reads andspeaks a language totally foreign to me, might sound a little crazy. Honestly, though, being
forced to learn for myself, creatively communicate, make friends if only for a short period oftime, and establish myself in a brand new culture; this international internship has been one of
the best experiences of my life. Despite the laid-back atmosphere initially coming as a shock to
my constant go-go-go lifestyle, I’ve learned that there is more to life than to cater to everyone
else’s agendas. My time here has taught me to listen, take a few deep breaths, and appreciate
all that I have been able to do in my life. Surprisingly, relationships with people back homeseemed to improve, and I’ve learned to put myself out there but also be immersed in a uniqueenvironment, complete with a mostly-non-speaking host family. Life has gone on, even though I
have not been 100% in my comfort zone, but it was little moments and small gestures that mademe grateful for all that I’ve had. Seeing things through a different perspective, not recognizing
anything at first, and forcing myself to live within the unknown... I think I’ve become an evenmore well-rounded young lady because of Hayastan.

52

Brett Ley
UkraineIntegrated Business andEngineering

Attending the Dynamo Kyiv Match

Worldwide News Ukraine
News Agency Intern

Last Day at Worldwide News Ukraine

Company and Position Description:
During my time at Worldwide News Ukraine (WNU), I had a variety of projects to work on.
Every week I was responsible for writing a column that was posted on the WNU website and ablog entry that shared my personal experience in Ukraine. On top of this, I wrote many press
releases that were posted to the a website. One of my press releases was even sent out for
distribution where many other news agencies published it. I was also in charge of researchingnews agencies in South America and Australia where I would then compile them into the WNU
database. My final project was to write an article, which was about the benefits of international
internships. My article was published in the European Online Magazine and a Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, newspaper called the Tribune-Review. My time at WNU not only improved mycommunication skills but also allowed me to write creatively and be immersed in Ukraine’s
culture.

53

Brett Ley
UkraineWorldwide News Ukraine Office

Kyiv Mosaic Garden

Value Derived from the Experience:
My time in Kyiv, Ukraine, was filled with a myriad of new experiences. Whether it was learning to
speak some Ukrainian or use the metro system, there were constant obstacles that I needed toovercome. Creating a new form of sign language and relying on Google translate seemedinteresting at first, but it taught me a lot about innovatively overcoming difficulties. Now that I
am home in America, I am a more confident in my ability to effectively communicate.
My international internship was an incredible opportunity, and it was an honor to work forWorldwide News Ukraine. Everyone at the company was extremely supportive and helped me
become immersed in Ukrainian culture. The people at WNU took the time to know me on a
personal level and often showed me different parts of Kyiv. I even had the opportunity tovolunteer at an animal shelter, explore a botanical garden, and see a professional soccer game.
From a professional standpoint, I think that my international internship provided unparalleledinsight into cultural sensitivity. I feel ready to work with a diverse group of people. Also, by
writing press releases and articles, I can convey my thoughts in a concise and coherent manner.
As an Integrated Business and Engineering major at Lehigh University, the communication skills I
learned at Worldwide News Ukraine are invaluable for my future success.

54

Haley Maruschak
Cambodia
College of Arts and Sciences
Anthropology

Caring for Cambodia
InternCompany and Position Description:
Caring for Cambodia was established in 2003 by Jamie Amelio with the goal to “make going toschool every child’s inalienable right”. With over 4,000 volunteers and a holistic variety of
programs for the benefits of all students, including a food and dental programs. It provides
high quality education for students to give them the higher standards of living. My role inhelping this nonprofit, non-governmental, charitable organization was to create a workbook forstudent council members that covered eight aspects of the school. This will be a tool forstudents to preform their duties in their roles more efficiently from Library Assistant, First Aid,
Budget, Communications, to Peer Advising. This was a sustainable effort to alleviate theresponsibilities of the director of the student council year after year.

55Haley Maruschak
Cambodia

Value Derived from the Experience:
The opportunity to work for two months in beautiful Cambodia with the NGO Caring for
Cambodia, was a priceless experience. Conducting research to help the organization becomesustainable is not only a fantastic NGO work experience, but it also requires me to use theknowledge I gathered in my classes at Lehigh, and will further aid my studies. This internship wasa great learning and growing opportunity for students like myself to learn time management inreal world scenarios. Cambodia provides rich experiences to learn a new language, taste exotic
food, but most of all to help a cause on the ground and to personally make the strongest impact
possible.
Benefits of this internship to me will be absorbed by my efforts leading the Caring for Cambodia
Committee on Lehigh's campus when I return in the fall. The focus of the group is to fundraiseand bring awareness to the student body about the mission and what they can do to help thatway the effort to increase education standards in Cambodia is a progressive movement.

56

Dylan Nertavich
Singapore
CBE
Finance

AON Singapore
New Growth Model Analyst

Company and Position Description: (please write one paragraph to describe the company and thework you performed on the internship. This section will be more factual based.)
AON Risk Solutions is an insurance brokerage firm which aligns the insurance needs of companies,
primarily large multinational corporations, to the appropriate insurance company and plan.
At AON I worked for a new segment called Cover which has the goal of providing pre-brokered,commoditized packages to the small and medium enterprises of a few developing Southeast Asian
countries. My job was to provide an in depth analysis of the insurance market in those countries,
primarily focusing on premium spent by SMEs in the commercial insurance market and the number ofuninsured SMEs in each country. I developed a model which forecasted the growth in premium, afunction of GDP growth and GDP Per Capita growth, up to 2017. This assessment was ultimately used todecide the order of AON’s entrance into the countries.

57

Dylan Nertavich
Singapore

Value Derived from the Experience:
The experience has had a huge impact on my professional development. During my internshipwith AON I have gained valuable technical skills used to make practical business decisions.
Furthermore, I had the opportunity to both live and work in Singapore, an incredibly diverse citywhich boasts high levels of employment in finance. This led to many networking and learning
opportunities.

58

Sebastian Nicewicz
KosovoCollege of Business and Economics
American Councils
Finance/Economics
Program Coordinator

Company and Position Description:
American Councils in Southeastern Europe began in 2002 with offices in Serbia,
Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. In 2004, American Councils opened an
office in Kosovo through the inauguration of the Kosovo American Education Fund (KAEF). This
program sends a handful of highly selective “graduate fellows” to the United States with aconsiderable scholarship every year to complete a master’s degree. The organization’s vision for
Kosovo involves a variety of broad topics all relating back to the sustained development of thecountry. American Councils in Kosovo also oversees the implementation of similar, effective
programs for students covering various levels of education. My work dealt with the different
educational opportunities for Kosovars both inside and outside of the country. Everyday
brought a different challenge: some days I helped potential candidates with the application
process while other times I organized data for the office. As an intern, I assisted colleagues
with various projects and assignments throughout the course of my stay.

From left to right: Barb, myself, myhost brother Agon and his fiancé Yllke

Kosovars love America!

59Sebastian Nicewicz
KosovoLake Ohrid, Macedonia

A day at the office

Value Derived from the Experience:
The Lee Iacocca Internship provided me with skills which will serve me well for
years to come. I could never have gained such insight from a typical summer job here in the
United States. The American Councils office made me feel comfortable while helping me
develop as a person. Living in Kosovo allowed me to appreciate the differences in terms of atypical work environment abroad. Alongside my colleagues, I learned some tricks of the trade tofunctioning effectively in Kosovo. Working with citizens of another country really expanded myhorizons in ways I could have never imagined. This experience was unlike any I have ever had,and I am already jealous of next year’s intern!
Living in a completely unfamiliar country for eight weeks also gave me a wider
view of the world around me. The lessons I learned extend far beyond the workplace. I gained
insight into the history of Kosovo, which made me understand the culture and attitudes of thepeople. Staying with a host family also provided a uniquely authentic experience. Between
making Kosovar friends and eating traditional home cooked meals, my experience could nothave been better. It’s safe to say that I returned to the United States with a little Kosovo in me.
I would highly recommend considering studying or working in a foreign country.
Lehigh has several opportunities through Study Abroad, internships and various other programs.
Personally, this internship worked out really well with my schedule. As a student-athlete, I would
have had an extremely difficult time trying to find a semester to travel abroad, and I feelextremely fortunate that it worked out. The Iacocca internships continue to grow across theworld and the memories I made in Kosovo will stay with me forever.

60

Barbora Oborna
The Republic of KosovoCollege of Arts and Sciences
Economics

Banka Ekonomike
InternCompany and Position Description: Banka Ekonomike is one of two national commercial
banks in Kosovo. While the financial sector has six other international banks, at Banka
Ekonomike an intern gets the opportunity to observe and work at a bank that handles only
money from within the country. As an intern, I mainly worked on independent projects while atthe same time observing and learning from many employees. As a first time international
Intern for Banka Ekonomike I was given the responsibility to take a 3rd party view of the Kosovo
Commercial Banking sector and Banka Ekonomike’s role in it. I was also given the opportunity
to work with SAS and Excel, specifically condensing and reformatting active sheets into a morestreamlined and efficient format.

The main office, Pristina
61

Barbora Oborna
The Republic of Kosovo

In front of Grachanica
MonasteryDinner with our friends andhost family!

Value Derived from the Experience: Working in a foreign country and especially in a work
environment where many people don’t know English can present challenges. However part of aninternship experience is learning new things and dealing with challenging situations. At times
during my internship I felt that I could be helping the firm even more that I was if they only gaveme more work to do. I couldn’t really occupy my time learning about all the different parts of thecompany from the individuals who worked in each department because of the language barrier.
Therefore, I had only a set amount of people with whom I could communicate and I had to learn
to become self reliant and be able to find work for myself. This along with the research and excel
experience that I gained through this program are skills that will be useful when I go down mycareer path. However, sometimes not only the experiences and knowledge gained through work
are the most important. Sometimes, the things you learn by just traveling and meeting new
people and experiencing new cultures is the biggest thing you can take away from a program
such as this. I can personally say that the connections I have made with the people in Kosovo aswell as international friends and coworkers had and will have a great positive impact on my lifeand career going forward!

62

Lizzy Odren
Costa Rica
Arts and Sciences
Earth and Environmental
Science

Lehigh University
InternCompany and Position Description: Through the University of Georgia’s campus
in Costa Rica, I worked with Dan Coviello (Lehigh University, ‘13) and Micheal
Heldreth (University of Georgia, ‘13) on a carbon offset program that focused on
the reforestation of a biological corridor. Each day the three of us would searchfor previously planted trees that were designated specifically for reforestation
and record several measurements for each individual tree, including the height incentimeters, diameter at breast height in millimeters, and the GPS coordinates.

Identifying trees to be measured

Arial view of the Bellbird BiologicalCorridor63

Lizzy Odren
Costa Rica

Value Derived from the Experience: This once-in-a-lifetime experience helped me in more
ways than I can count. Not only did my trip to Costa Rica provide me with invaluable field
experience, but it also allowed me to make many professional, as well as personal, connections
with people around the globe. I stayed with a Costa Rican family that was living close to the
University of Georgia’s campus, and thus I became exposed to the country’s culture andlanguage. In addition, I was also fortunate enough to have some downtime between work andhomestay life where I could go on hikes and get to observe much of Costa Rica’s wildlife. This
trip opened my eyes up to many new and exciting possibilities for my future, and I cannot wait to
see what unfolds for me as I finish out my undergraduate degree and pursue both graduate
school and career options. I felt as though I really discovered who I was and what direction I
want to go forward in, and for that I am extremely thankful.

Measuring tree diameters64Gorgi Pavlov
China
College of Engineering andApplied Science
Chemical Engineering

3M China
Filtration Validation InternCompany and Position Description:
3M China is the market leader in China for a diversified portfolio of products such as adhesives,abrasives, dental products, medical products, car care products, electronic circuits and opticalfilms. My work in 3M China was with the Filtration, Separation and Purification division,
specifically in their Life Sciences, which involved testing and research on filtration equipment
for the pharmaceutical industry. My tasks involved testing and validating various filtration
products and membranes for use with different products. The products were supplied by thepharmaceutical companies within China, and my work was to make sure that, when the
product was filtered with 3M filters, there would be no bacteria or any other materials in thefiltrate. In other terms, ultrafine filtration was performed on the product, along with a scale up
based on the product that was used when the testing was performed.

Picture of the Filtration Validation Lab
Team along with some customers

Performing experiments in the lab

65Gorgi Pavlov
China

Performing experiments in theclean room

Shanghai Skyline

Value Derived from the Experience:
This experience aligned well with my professional goals, since I would like to work within thebiopharmaceutical industry in the future. The internship offered an exclusive look in the types ofresearch that are done for industrial purposes and also discover what kind of processes are
involved in purification of pharmaceutical grade products. Moreover, it offered an insight in how
a multinational conglomerate works, and how it interacts with the different markets that it isdoing business in. As far as the 3M experience goes, I learned a lot from the company culture
which is rooted in Innovation which is essential to the success of the company and the R&D done
within 3M. I was also able to meaningfully contribute to the company, optimizing procedures in
the lab, and maximize time utilization when doing day-to-day tasks. In response to that, after the
first month after I joined the lab, we were able to successfully complete tests for 7 different
molecules, while the lab could do only 7 molecules for one quarter. This represents a 300%
increase in productivity of the lab, which is of great value to me, as it shows that I havecontributed to the lab in a very direct and meaningful way. In addition to my lab work, I
attended several leadership and sales presentations and trainings so that I could learn about thedifferent needs and issues of the customers in China, and then tailor the tests in the labaccordingly. Overall, this was a very meaningful experience for me as it showed how the workthat I do is making a significant impact on the industry, and how policy, customer needs and 3M
come together to make an impact on society.

66

Brian Perry
Costa Rica
College of Engineering
IDEAS: Mechanical Engineering/
Earth and Environmental Science

Los Cusingos
River Analyst

Company and Position Description: The town of Quizzara, Costa Rica has a strong farming
presence. Because of this, fertilizer and animal excretion runoff is common. This runs into the
Piñas Blancas River. Los Cusingos, a bird sanctuary, was on an established property in which no
farming was performed next to the river, thus allowing a controlled analysis of water quality
without the addition of additional minerals, oxygen, etc. into the system.
We split the section of the river which ran through Los Cusingos (1.5km) into 100m sections. Ineach, we performed tests including temperature, nitrate concentration, phosphateconcentration, and dissolved oxygen. With the results of the test, we could conclude that theriver is healthy and has the ability to foster a diverse aquatic community.

Garden work, when notworking on the river

The Piñas Blancas River

67

Brian Perry
Costa Rica

Stopping work to ride a water buffalo

The coworkers are characters, notcorporates

Value Derived from the Experience:
The most daunting aspect of this trip was the language barrier. Prior to working at Los Cusingos, I
had taken Spanish language courses in high school. But the period of inactivity was long. To
combat this, I strengthened my modes of communication beyond my most comfortable mode,talking. Some techniques included the use of my hands to charade my meaning, and drawing
concepts on paper.
I also learned how to be flexible during the work day. With much of this job consisting of field
work, the weather and the safety hazards it could instigate had to be accounted for. For example,
rains would render me unable to perform field work for hours as it both raised the height of theriver and made rocks slippery. In such times, I needed to restructure my plans to accommodate
for work more suitable to indoors.
This trip also taught me to live the Pura Vida, the “Pure Life,” a mentality shared by many Costa
Ricans including relaxation and courtesy. In the United States, many professions exist in thecorporate sector, and are run by time sheets, deadlines. In comparison, the workplace atCusingos was relieving. That is not to say that work wasn’t completed, but the mentality
amongst coworkers was more friendly, social, human. An argument can be made that membersof the US workforce are more productive, but without a doubt this achievement is dampened byadditional stress, the loss of connection to loved ones, and an intolerance of failure by the
managers in the workplace and by the individual. This experience has challenged me to assessthe differences between these two professionals. Though I do not fully know what type of
professional I want to become, I have learned from the more relaxed culture of Costa Rica.
68

Aleksandra Popova
Cambodia
CAS College of Engineering
IDEAS (Bioengineering)

Caring for Cambodia
InternCompany and Position Description:
Throughout my time in Cambodia, I worked for the Caring for Cambodia Non Governmental
Organization. The organization was founded by one of Lehigh’s Alumna, William Amelio, and his
wife, Jamie Amelio. The organization has positively impacted the Siem Reap region of
Cambodia for the past ten years, cultivating schools in six different regions totaling 21 different
schools ranging from preschool to high school. Throughout my time in Cambodia, I worked with
the CFC (Caring for Cambodia) Nurse and the preschool children in educating them about
dental and nutritional hygiene. I attended workshops and home interviews in order to evaluate
how effective the program has been within the community. Likewise, based on the data, I
created a health booklet utilizing the information provided the World Health Organization(WHO). This health booklet will be used during the future health trainings and be distributed tochildren and their parents to instill the practices necessary to maintain good hygiene.

Preschool student demonstrating her
knowledge of tooth brushingCambodian Children

69

Aleksandra Popova
Cambodia

Hand washing at the CFC School

Genocide museum in Phnom Penh

Value Derived from the Experience:
In addition to simply coming to Cambodia to assist a Non Governmental Organization, Caring for
Cambodia, I was eager to learn about a unique culture. Throughout my time, I have been able totaste everything from crickets to alligators, make connections with Cambodian individuals, aswell as adapt to new societal customs. This privilege has proven to be one of the greatest
learning curves to me. My passion and desire to pursue a career in medicine has been theguiding force in formulating my projects abroad. Throughout my time in Cambodia, I worked
with the Caring for Cambodia nurse as well as assistant nurse in order to improve the healthprograms implemented in their teaching. Throughout my time, I attended and observed during
numerous Early Learning Programs for dental and nutritional health. Aside from the workshops
at the schools, I attend home interviews in order to evaluate the workshops’ impact. By having
the opportunity to participate and travel to Cambodia, I was able to cultivate useful material that
could be implemented in further teachings. One of the goals was to create healthy habit
booklets that will include strategies about particular disease prevention and specific procedureson how to maintain a personal well-being. By having this experience, I was able to expand myknowledge of the causes of many prevalent diseases as well as expand my awareness about
international health. I became more open-minded to the structures of society and forced myself
to suppress the desire to change the lifestyle of the Cambodian people because I am so use to
the structure in America. After my experience with this Non Governmental Organization in
Cambodia, I am considering pursuing International Medicine because I have been inspired tohelp those individuals who are unable to obtain necessary medical assistance.

70Edward J. Puzycki
China
College of Arts and Sciences
Physics

Lehigh students and faculty visit “TheBund” in Shanghai

East China University of
Science and Technology
Assistant Teacher

Lehigh students observe and teach classes,
working with Chinese university students.

Company and Position Description:
I worked as a pre-service teacher of ESL students at East China University of Science andTechnology. Monday through Thursday, I led two to four new English classes for one period
each, meeting hundreds of new students each day. I created lessons based upon what theteachers requested, which was most often related to American culture. Some favorite topics ofthe students were campus life, making friends, dating life, and cultural differences. Other times,
teacher would ask that we teach from the book or just observe. We also took Chinese lessons
for one period each day, and on Fridays the group met to discuss the week’s experiences.

71

Edward J. Puzycki
China

Students experienced new culturesand cuisines

Faculty had student overfor dinner in their homes

Value Derived from the Experience:
This work and experience in China has changed my life forever. Not only have I now made rice,
tofu, and soy sauce a permanent part of my diet, but I’ve learned to see the world through adifferent lens.
I learned about a different kind of people and a different way of life. I learned about what
language means and how the ways we use that language determines the perceptions otherpeople make about us. I learned about history, geography, culture, and tradition. I learned a lot
about balance and a lot about myself.
I had to re-evaluate my perceptions of the Eastern world and found that many of them were
atrociously incorrect and others, while correct on the surface, had a deeper meaning than I could
have ever understood before.
I am extremely thankful for this opportunity. It was a kick-start into a journey of self and global
discovery that I plan on cherishing and reflecting on for the rest of my life, both personally andprofessionally.

72

Isabella Rago
Moldova
College of Business Engineering
American Language Center
UndecidedMarketing and Outreach InternCompany and Position Description:
The American Language Center is a branch of the American Councils for International Education
office in Chisinau, Moldova. It offers English courses to Moldovans in Chisinau and has recently
opened new branches in other cities of Moldova. During my time as an intern, I assisted
primarily with a new project for a website called Volunteer.md which is designed to provide aneeds-based assessment for organizations of the types of volunteers they need as well as tohelp volunteers find an organization that is right for them. I researched different questions to
ask future users and different filters to use on the website. I then compiled a PowerPoint
presentation of what the website would look like and how it would function. Further, mycoworkers and I came up with measures to control the quality of the new language centers inother regions of Moldova as well as the one in Chisinau.

A church in the main park in
Chisinau.

A dance being performed in traditional
clothing at a festival in Chisinau.

73Isabella Rago
Moldova

View from Orhei, an oldmonastery built into caves.

View of the church in Orhei.

Value Derived from the Experience:
I think this experience has above all taught me to be grateful for what I have and theopportunities that exist for me in America. I am able to go to college and have so many choices
for what to do with the rest of my life. This experience has reminded me not to take everything I
have for granted because I have so much to be thankful for. On every other street in Chisinau
there is a sign for a work and travel company for people to go and live in the US. Advertisements
would pop up on my computer screen offering a chance to win a green card to the US. So many
people want to have the chance to live for just a little bit in America while I have never known
anything other than that. It has also taught me the value of living abroad and experiencing othercultures because it really does affect how you view the world and your own culture and values.
Without this opportunity offered to me by the LIIIP, I doubt I would have ever traveled to
Moldova, and, after living there for two months and meeting so many wonderful people, I cansay what a shame that would have been. I was also able to travel to Ukraine by myself for aweekend and that in itself also changed me and helped me grow. I spent so much time alone
during my two months abroad which, albeit lonely at times, helped me become more
independent and allowed me to develop more on a personal level.

74

Bradley Richard
Malaysia
Universiti Teknologi Petronas
Chemical Engineering

Freeman Foundation
Researcher

Company and Position Description: I performed research on the separation of benzene
and cyclohexane through extractive distillation at the Universiti of Teknologi Petronas (UTP). I
was paired with a graduate student in the chemical engineering department who taught me
everything that I needed to know in order to conduct my experiments. Most of my time wasspent preparing samples of benzene, cyclohexane, and various solvents which were being
tested. I then used gas chromatography to measure the vapor phase composition so that I
could make vapor liquid equilibrium diagrams. The final two weeks were spent writing a reporton the effectiveness of each solvent, and preparing a presentation on my research. At the endof my time I presented my research in front of the faculty advisors of the students there, andseveral other engineering faculty. There were several trips on weekends which were planned
for us to get to experience different parts of Malaysia.

View of Kuala Lumpur from theskybridge of the Petronas Towers

The center of campus at UTP

75

Bradley Richard
Malaysia

Value Derived from the Experience: I learned a lot about how to successfully interact withpeople of other cultures in both a professional and social setting while I was in Malaysia. One of
the areas where I learned to adapt was with the interaction between men and women. In
classes, and some other settings men and women stay on opposite sides of the room, and manyof the women would not shake my hand. I learned to be respectful of this and there were not
any problems. I also had to adjust to meetings starting later than when they were scheduled.
Here it would be considered rude to show up late, but in Malaysia I learned that scheduling ismuch more relaxed. I was also able to make friends with students from not only Malaysia, butalso Germany, France, and Mozambique. It was a great experience to be able to get to know
these students, and learn some about there culture. This experience will help me a lot in the
future since many companies are global, and being able to communicate well with people fromother countries will be very useful.

In front of the Petronas
Towers wearing our jerseys

The night market near campus

76Jaewon Seonwoo
India
College of Business/
Engineering
Accounting

Apollo Tyres
Accounting/Finance AssociateCompany and Position Description:
Apollo Tyres is the tyre manufacturing company in India. Before I start work forthe company, it was the world’s 15th biggest tyre manufacturer. However, after I
start work for the company, it bought US-based Cooper Tire & Rubber Company,
which is double size of Apollo Tyres, and it became the world’s 7th biggest tyre
manufacturer. Since the acquisition was done when I was at the company, I could
witness the process of the acquisition. Also, I learned about the foreign exchange
market through reading and discussion with the finance team.

The Taj Mahal

77

Jaewon Seonwoo
India

Value Derived from the Experience:
Through this internship, I learned how to accept differences. At the beginning I was
so frustrated because of different culture and working environment. However, as
time goes, I started to accepting the difference and tried to understand thesituation on their perspective. Also, I learned that one needs to speak up andexpress for oneself in order to obtain what you want.

78

Ali Shtarbanov
Malaysia
Lehigh RCEAS
Electrical Engineering

Freeman Foundation
Student Researcher

Company and Position Description:
I worked at UTP as a student researcher together with four professors and two
Ph.D. students on an $3.5 million (US dollars), mission-oriented research project sponsored by
Malaysia's largest oil and gas company, PETRONAS. The goal of the project is to establish a
wideband, up to 80 kilometer range, non-line of sight (nLOS), wireless network at sea throughthe utilization of evaporation duct. The purpose of this project is to remain undisclosed. My
main contribution to was to devise a complete set of experiments and develop the necessary
software tools for characterizing a wireless channel at microwave frequencies. I performed anarrowband characterization of an indoor LOS wireless channel at 3.2GHz and 10.5GHz withvarious types of antennas. Upon completing my work I submitted a 30-page report to
PETRONAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS Vice
Chancellor Complex

Standing with two RAs and the teamleader79

Ali Shtarbanov
Malaysia

Universiti Teknologi PETRONASPETRONAS Twin Towers

Value Derived from the Experience:
During my research experience at UTP I learned a great deal about wireless communications,
including antenna theory, digital modulation, wave guiding, advanced MATLAB coding,
instrument control via MATLAB and SCPI commands, wireless channel characterization, and a tonof technical vocabulary. During my second week at UTP, the research team attended a three day
equipment training course from Agilent Technologies. Subsequently, I obtained weeks ofexperience utilizing state of the art RF equipment including vector signal generator, vector signal
analyzer and vector network analyzer. I encountered and solved new classes of challenging, realworld theoretical and practical engineering problems such as writing code to automate
measurements and remotely control instruments, creating algorithms to extract relevant
information from experimental data, performing literature review to explain experimental data,
and finding theoretical models and optimizing them for the desired purposes.
In addition to my technical skills, my soft skills have also enhanced and augmented. Since theproject was mission oriented and sponsored by PETRONAS, I participated in both technical andcorporate meetings. Every week I gave a technical progress presentation to the research teamand every month I gave a less technical progress presentation to PETRONAS managers andfinancial officers (these meetings took place at PETRONAS Twin Towers).
The benefits I gained from this experience are numerous. This was my first involvement on a big
budget research project and it turned out to be much better that I had imagined. I realized that
research is very challenging yet highly enjoyable and rewarding and full of eureka moments.
Prior to this experience, I had doubts as to whether to pursue graduate and postgraduate studies
or go to industry after graduation. After the experience however, I am convinced that I want tocontinue my studies and pursue an academic career.

80Henry Smither
India
Intergrated Business/Engineering
Civil Engineering

Viva GroupEngineering Intern

Viva Group is an Indian based business conglomerate with a significant presencein an array of realty segments primarily in the western state of Maharashtra. Land aggregation,and then developing or selling development rights, has always been Viva’s strength, but more
recently the company has taken huge steps in retail, logistics, media, education, hospitality andother portfolios. With such knowledgeable, kind, and hardworking directors and employees thecompany thus far has been able to find success in all of its ventures and continues to expand
and grow. Treated as an honored guest, not an intern, I wasn’t expected to necessarily “work”.
Instead, they expected me to research, learn, ask questions, and absorb as much as possible in
my time there. My “work”, in a nutshell, consisted of numerous site visits to Viva’s construction
sites, researching Indian history, culture, and different regulations, sitting down one on one
with architects, engineers, and project managers, and attending daily meetings pertaining toViva’s various ongoing operations.

81Henry Smither
India

Having just finished my second year as an` IBE Civil Engineering major, I went to India curious
and excited to learn about and see the development work being done and how business was
conducted. With only two years of engineering under my belt, the detailed engineering work
was presented to me in a more conceptual sense so that I was able to understand it all. While I
learned new things everyday about the development and construction work, much of what I
learned would not be applicable in the US due to much different standards and regulations.
However, some of the most valuable things I learned were management advise that came fromthe many meetings I sat in on with Mehul (the company director). The experiences, advice, andknowledge I gained from working with Viva is something truly valuable, but my personal
development from two months in India is something I am certain I could not have received
anywhere else. I have been back almost two weeks and it seems surreal that I was just in India
doing some of the things I did. Standing on top of a mountain, the only non-Indian person out of
the 700,000 people gathered there for this religious pilgrimage, was eye opening to say the least.
The many true immersion experiences like this I had were humbling and being outside of mycomfort zone for such an extended period of time, it was interesting reflecting on and noticing
some personal strengths and weaknesses I have never seen before. It his hard to explain in one
paragraph how valuable the experience as a whole was, but it is definitely something I will never
be able to forget.

82

Whitney Szmodis
Cambodia
College of Education
PhD, Teaching, Learning, Technology

Caring for Cambodia
InternCompany and Position Description:
Caring for Cambodia (CFC) is a nongovernmental organization based in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
CFC partners with Ministry of Education schools, providing teacher training, school meal
program, Life Skills programs, preschools, and health and dental care for approximately 6,400
students. During this internship, Whitney partnered with Megan Smith, Deputy Director at CFC
to create a program that will provide students with additional opportunities for enrichment
outside the regular school day. This program is designed to provide students with instructionthat does not fit within the Ministry of Education prescribed curriculum during the typical fourhour school day. Students will have an additional two hours of instruction per day, focusing oncontent as well as learning strategies based on the 21st Century Skills framework. They will
receive one hour of English Language instruction followed by one hour of enrichment, including
art, music, service, technology, health, and sports. The pilot program will include 4 th gradestudents at Aranh school in October 2013 at the onset of the new school year. The pilot year at
Aranh will give insight into the infrastructure and resources necessary to successfully
implement this program in all CFC schools.

School library. Siem Reap,
Cambodia.

Student at a CFC school, resting on abasketball hoop.

83Whitney Szmodis
Cambodia

Student Council members at
Kravan school playing a game

A young girl working inthe school garden

During this internship, I realized how critical it is for students and researchers to spend timeliving in the locations where they conduct research. As a student focused on educational
research in Cambodia, this opportunity allowed me to spend time in Siem Reap and develop a
more comprehensive understanding of the needs of the schools I work with. In addition, I had
the chance to explore the local communities and gain a better outlook on the everyday lives ofchildren in CFC schools.
As a teacher, I feel that learning inside the classroom must prepare students for life beyond thewalls of the schoolhouse. Students give us their time and attention, and it is our responsibility toensure that time in the classroom is well spent. Skills and lessons learned in school must havevalue and be applicable to real life situations. I was enthusiastic that the faculty and staff at theschools I visited shared this philosophy. Through our conversations, I quickly realized thatstudent learning and preparation for future success is the top priority for all the faculty and staff.
It was exciting to hear that many students in the schools want to become doctors, accountants,
farmers, and teachers. These students are given the opportunity to explore their professional
goals, and the CFC faculty and staff encourage these ambitious goals. Given the poverty anddifficulties faced by the students at home and a lack of local community development, it isevident that CFC plays a critical role in not only educating children, but also providing hope andresources to the local communities around the schools. During this internship, I developed abetter understanding of the reality of the obstacles faced and the ways in which education canhelp both individual and community development. As an educational researcher, I now knowthat without hands-on experience in the local schools and community, I would be unable to fullycomprehend the needs of students and how best to facilitate a sustainable form of education for
all children in Cambodia.

84

Bruce Watson
India
Arts and Sciences
Anthropology

Apollo Tyres
Human Resources InternThis summer, I had the pleasure of working for Apollo Tyres, the world’s seventh largest tirecompany. Apollo recently acquired Cooper Tires, an American-based company and was thereby
able to grow into the American market. I worked in the Human Resources department at
Apollo’s corporate office in Gurgaon, Haryana India. As an intern, I worked to improve Apollo’s
performance management system and the absorption of company values by its employees.

85Bruce Watson
India

Value Derived from the Experience:
My internship at Apollo Tyres in Gurgaon, India taught me the value of observing anotherculture, far beyond what can be learned in any text book. It taught me to be more patient and to
take advantage of every opportunity. To me, my internship was not necessarily about gaining
work experience but more about gaining interpersonal skills that I can apply to any field that I
might choose to work in in the future. By gaining experience in Human Resources, I have learned
how to work with and for people on a much deeper level.
On a professional level, I learned the general functions of the office environment of a major
corporation. Although my work was not labor-intensive, I found it to be an educational
experience nonetheless. Having to operate of a full-time work schedule for the first time in mylife has prepared me for what life after college will be like as I enter the work force. At Apollo, I
worked on the company’s performance management system. This provided me with a uniqueinsight into what companies evaluate in their employees. I was able to make note of some ofthese attributes and use them to refine my resume.

86

Arielle Willett
China
Arts and Sciences
Environmental/ Global Studies

Becton Dickinson
Research InternCompany and Position Description:
As interns, we worked to help others understand current healthcare processes in Asia. This
position required strong communication skills (both written and oral), thorough analysis ofdata, and an affinity for grasping concepts in short periods of time. Responsibilities included
researching the healthcare systems of countries across Asia, putting together presentations
detailing growth trends in GDP and healthcare expenditure for these countries, and working
with a team to design a fact book describing BD's role in each country. The end result of thisinternship was a presentation and written narrative simplifying these different healthcare
systems, and highlighting potential expansion opportunities for the company both now andover the coming decade.

The BD team87

Arielle Willett
China

The Forbidden CityTop of Huangshan

Value Derived from the Experience:
This experience was my first introduction to the corporate world, and I could not have asked fora better one. The company was based on values including mutual respect and personal integrity,and everyone was extremely welcoming. While the business opportunities alone were enough tomake this an incredible opportunity, it was the people we connected with throughout the
program that really made it exceptional. We met so many humble, dedicated, passionate people
over the almost three months we were there, and every one of them encouraged us to pursue
what made us happy. We also had the opportunity to travel within China, seeing both the natural
beauty of the country and the thousand year-old structures that give it its cultural character. This
internship had such an impact on me not only because it prepared me for an international work
environment, but also because it gave gave me confidence in my adaptability, along with a newperspective on where I’d like to be in the future and how I’m going to get there.

88

Jason Wu
Hong Kong
Rossin College of Engr.
IDEAS

Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour

Hutchinson Ports Holdings
Commercial Development, HITEngineering Department

Me in a busy shopping area

Company and Position Description: Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) is an international
corporation that owns shipping ports around the world. I worked at the Hong Kong
International Terminals (HIT), where the head quarter of HPH was located. My internship was ajoin assignment of the commercial department and the engineering department, and I was
given projects from each department separately. At the commercial department, my main tasks
were to collect and distribute industrial news and to do research on company background andstrategies. At the engineering department, I was assigned to assist ongoing projects related tocrane maintenance with the goal to increase operation efficiency.

89

Jason Wu
Hong Kong

Hongkong International Terminals (HIT)The office building where I worked

Value Derived from the Experience:
Being able to work in both the business side and the engineering side allowed me to have acomprehensive perspective on port operation. I was also able to get a good understanding of
how the company operated as well as how large corporations interacted with each other. During
my employment, I learned to be organized and to stay focused on my tasks. HPH wasexperienced in hosting summer interns and had a good team dynamic. My supervisors were very
supportive and the projects assigned to me were great for my learning.
On a personal level, I experienced living on my own in Hong Kong, an international city with aunique culture. I was able to meet and share ideas with people around the world. There were abunch of other summer interns at HPH. A lot of them were locals while the others were fromother countries in Asia, Europe, and North America. We all got to know each other and had agreat time in Hong Kong.

90

Lyubov Yankovskaya
Singapore
P.C. Rossin School ofEngineering
BioEngineering

Aon Benfield
Intern in Reinsurance &Treaty Broking

Company and Position Description:
My internship experience was particularly exciting because it gave me the chance to practice a new lineof work, different from BioEngineering. Not only did I learn a lot about the business in Southeast Asia, I
learned a lot of Reinsurance, as well. The best way to describe this learning experience is gaining
knowledge of a while new world I did not know existed before this opportunity. In the Aon Benfield
office, Reinsurance was a break-down of the Treaty and Facultative side. I worked with Treaty side,
where my mentors were in Analytics, as well as Broking. I was able to work with confidential
information of aggregate data and reports for three different countries of the region. It was very
encouraging to be able to contribute work that was used and further worked on after I left. I willdefinitely use this knowledge in the future because not only did I learn of a new line of work, but I also
learned technical thinking skills, which will help me in any business or engineering workplace.

One of my many mentors on the
Analytics Team of Treaty
Broking, Bernice Zhang

Main Lobby at Aon Benfield91

Lyubov Yankovskaya
Singapore

Dinner photo with theother Treaty interns

Last night in Singapore
with Lehigh roommates

At Gardens by the Bay Tower

Value Derived from the Experience:
This experience definitely shaped me to be a different person. After living abroad
for such an extensive period of time, I feel more comfortable being able to workwith different people, from various cultures, whom all come from different
business backgrounds. While working as an intern for Aon Benfield, I experienced
one of Singapore’s many diverse working place, where I met individuals of twentysix nationalities. Not only did they make me feel more at home and comfortablebeing so far away from close friends and family, they also taught me more about
the culture of Singapore. Overall, the experience was incredibly daunting because
it was my first time working in a professional setting, and overseas, as that. Thistaught me how to act professionally on a day-to-day basis, whilst living in a country
that was not familiar to me at all. While I began needing a lot of guidance in andout of work, I was then able to gain a great sense of independence by learning myway around the company functions and living in Singapore. The value derived fromthis experience was incredibly seen upon my return to the US, where I havebecome more confident to meet with different people, immerse myself into
different experiences and to thrive in any work setting. More importantly, I wasable to make some lasting friendships with people from across the world.

92

Faculty/Staff Contributions
Thank you to the Lehigh University Faculty and Staff who
created opportunities for group programs. Their efforts went
above and beyond their responsibilities to the university andthey took the time to prepare and lead a group of students intheir international experience. They are:
Don Morris & Rick Weisman – Costa Rica
Sothy Eng & Iveta Silova – Cambodia
Steve Pessiki & Mayuresh Kothare – Malaysia
Tim Cauller – China

Thank you to the donors who madethis program possible!

Anonymous
Jay Allen ‘67
David M. Baldwin '51
Maria '87 & John ’85 Chrin
John R. Day '98
Stewart Early '66
Ernst and Young Foundation
The Freeman Foundation
John C. Evans, Ph.D. '66
Wayne D. Freese '59
Linda and Peter M. Gilbert F/SJudy and Donald M. Gruhn '49

Holt Family Foundation
Lee A. Iacocca '45
Harry B. Levine '56
Howard Lieberman 'F
Vincent G. Munley '74
Donald R. Phillips '84
PricewaterhouseCoopers Foundation
Alex P. Tamm '12
Lawrence J. Tamm '12P
Arthur Tauck ‘59
Vincent R. Volpe, Jr. '80

For Additional Informationwww.lehigh.edu/intint
Carol Ham, Program Director
csh205@lehigh.edu (610) 758-3467
OFFICE OF
INTERNATIONALAFFAIRS94