One of the best parts of being an intern at The
International Center is the opportunity to involve oneself in the various areas
of the organization. This enables us to venture beyond the positions assigned to
us that are inscribed on our email signatures, and provides a multifaceted
perspective on the internship experience. While we always have plenty to keep
us busy in our ‘areas of expertise’, we occasionally stray from the work that
pertains to our positions and collaborate on various projects that benefit The
Center as a whole. I’ll give you an example to illustrate exactly what I mean:
Last week, several of us [interns] were approached by Peter
Kirkwood, Officer of Protocol. He presented the opportunity to join him and several
other staff members on Friday at the Indianapolis International Airport in
greeting a delegation from Xianyang, China (consisting of the Deputy Mayor and
the Deputy Director of the Department of Education.) The delegation had arrived
to officially forge a Sister Cities partnership with Carmel, Indiana. This
project, spearheaded by Peter, the City of Carmel, and Chinese community
leaders in Carmel, has been in the works for the past 18 months. It was an
honor to be included in one of the moments that culminated the nearly two
year-old efforts put forth by all parties, even if we were only greeting the
delegation at the airport.
However, we were not merely bystanders in this situation.
While our presence primarily served to provide a heartfelt welcome to the
delegation upon their arrival, Peter had also given us each an assignment to
enhance the experience. For example, Marielle, the intern for the Office of
Protocol, was charged with coordinating the logistics of their visit. She was
also given the opportunity to utilize her knowledge of Mandarin Chinese by
creating a poster welcoming the delegation to our city. Peter, the
Communication intern, was tasked with carrying a video camera and recording the
whole affair. Peter K. had asked me to prepare a few questions to ask the delegation
members upon their arrival. Little did I know that I was going to be collaborating
with the Carmel Public Access television station to conduct my brief interview.
What a privilege it was to not only interact with the delegation, but also to
meet and work with real media professionals!
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| Marielle's poster welcoming the delegation in both English and Mandarin |
If you had asked me at the beginning of this internship what
I was expecting from the experience, never in my wildest dreams would I have
envisioned myself appearing on public access television, submitting press
releases to The Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis Business Journal, speaking
and presenting a flag at a naturalization ceremony at the Federal Courthouse, meeting
the Deputy Mayor of an influential Chinese city, and many more things (the list
could go on and on)… What a journey this has been so far, and I can’t wait to
see what else is in store for me!
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