While many of their classmates are working fulltime, earning extra money during the summer, 320 BYU-Hawaii students are currently completing academic internships.
"Of that number, over 120 are in international countries in the Pacific and Asia," said BYUH Academic Internship Director Meli Lesuma [upper left], who noted this total does not include other students who are also working off-island in mentored learning and research projects. "The rest are serving internships in Hawaii and the U.S. mainland."
Lesuma explained the Academic Internship office opened in 2003 and has gained significant momentum since then, partially because the Gene and Allyson Yamagata Foundation generously funds travel expenses of international and some other students. "In 2003 we only had a total of 11 students on internship," he said.
"Now we have interns in nearly all of the Pacific countries — New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Kiribati, the Cook Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. For example, our psychology students are serving in family health services, education students are serving in Church schools, and others are serving in [Latter-day Saint] Employment Resource Centers, conducting career workshops where they help people become more employable. We trained the students here before they went. We also have some of them in Asia — in Hong Kong, Mongolia and the Philippines."
"We have interns working in private businesses and organizations, government agencies and educational institutions," Lesuma continued. He explained in one case three social work majors are working for the Fijian Ministry of Social Welfare, "where we have an arrangement: They will hire one-to-three of our students each year. Last year they hired the first one, who had interned there, and I've heard they've already offered a position to one of them this year."
"In Asia, for the first time, we have an education major doing student teaching with a school in New Delhi, India, and doing literacy volunteer service; and for the second year we have a math major doing an internship with a prominent government university in Hong Kong, several working in hotels, and one working for an airline. There are also quite a number of TESOL majors interning in Taiwan. In fact, two of our recent TESOL graduates, with the help of an alumnus, just set up an English teaching school in Thailand."
"It's important to know we're so successful with these international internships because we send most of these students back to their home countries," Lesuma said. "They don't need visas to go back, and because they stay with their families, the costs are very low."
Lesuma explained that U.S. students also serve both domestic and international internships. "For example, we pick them either for their familiarity with those countries or even served missions there; or they've been offered placement in some of the top organizations in those countries. We've categorized these organizations as the 'global 100.' We've established good relationships with them. They supervise the students and make sure they have a good experience."
He also pointed out a few international students serve internships in Hawaii, the U.S. mainland and even on campus. For instance, a psychology major from Mongolia is "working in a health services organization in Seattle. Our goal is to send them back to their home country, but in this case her professor highly recommended this was something she could never find back home. It was a very attractive offer, so we sent her there."
"The average internship lasts about eight-to-ten weeks. About half of them get paid, and the others go just for the experience," Lesuma said, "but most of those who go internationally don't get paid. Sometimes it's a sacrifice for them to go home, because they would be earning money if they were here. Summertime is when they can work 40 hours a week. They're giving up quite a bit to go on internship."
Lesuma added that the interns and the program get help from Church leaders, alumni and parents. "The majority of our contacts are initiated by our alumni," he said. "All we need is some initial information, and we do the follow-up. We work closely with our Career Services program. We also rely on our professors and their networks. Very often they will recommend opportunities."
He described the program as still being in its "infancy...but the results are absolutely astounding. Our goal is to assist international students to return to their home country, and the internship program has helped a great deal. When the interns go home, they're reconnected with their families and society. Number two, they're able to gain good work experience that's related to their majors; now days a lot of employers want experience. And number three, they're able to start their networking back home. Many of them are coming back and saying, 'I know exactly what I'm going to look for when I finish here.'"
"While they're there, they also help with the Church. The comment I keep getting from Priesthood leaders is that a student came and was teaching Primary or Sunday School, or was helping with clerical assistance, and he was so good."
"Our interns come back and say, 'A lot of work needs to be done back home. They need so much. They need trained leadership, and I feel like I need to go back and help the Lord.' It sounds like music to us when we hear that," Lesuma said.
"We send them home, they do the work, and the Lord multiplies their interest and blessings."