Summertime is a welcome break in the life of a college student, but for those on internships, summer takes on a different perspective, and the "play hard, work hard and study hard" attitude heightens the experience.
Theone A. Taala, the experiential education program manager at BYU–Hawaii Career Services, stated that the purpose of having students go on internships is to help them become more competitive. Likewise, it is a great channel into companies that students want to work for in the future.
Manase L. Satini (at right), a senior in International Business Studies who interned at the ANZ Bank in Tonga, talked about the growth he experienced when he returned to his homeland and delved into checks and balances: "I realized there is more to learn and everything that I have learned in school can apply to my internship. I really want to do a foreign exchange; that's how our country earns a lot of income."
He further stated, "I learned that there are more ways to do a foreign exchange, and it affects everybody, not just America. I wish I knew a lot more about economics [because] it is really interesting to learn about money supply and … bank reserves."
Another intern, Woosung Son, a senior in hospitality and tourism management from Korea, spoke about what he gauged as a wonderful learning experience when he returned to Korea to work: "I really enjoy[ed] working for JW Marriott in Korea. I learned most about people skills and building good relationships with others as a future leader."
Son mentioned two things he found interesting in his internship: first, the privilege to attend full-time employee training as an intern. Second, participating in sight inspections, or opportunities to visit other hotels and learn about their operation systems. Son said that by never being late to work and by frequently asking questions, he stood out from other interns—and he found his internship more enjoyable and interesting.
Although the experiences Satini and Son had were quite different, their commonality lies in their path to a promising future.
--Photo courtesy of Manase Satini