Learn outside of your comfort zone

Internship, research and study-abroad experiences help students become doers, not just learners, as UND students explain

Editor’s note: In the UND LEADS Strategic Plan, the Learning core value calls on the University to “cultivate experiential learning opportunities with real-world applications, rewarding collaborations that are built on applied learning.” This story reports on the University’s recent Experience Spotlight event, in which students made presentations and answered questions about internship, research and study-abroad opportunities that are available for students.

This story was originally published in UND Today on March 18.

****

By Madison Dame

“Don’t be afraid to pursue your own passions, no matter where they lead,” said Kayla Barral during her Experience Spotlight presentation.

“The journey will be well worth it.”

On Feb. 26, Barral was one of 21 UND students who took the stage at the Memorial Union’s Social Stairs to share their internship, research and study abroad experiences and explain how UND helped them get there.

As the UND LEADS Strategic Plan declares, cultivating “experiential learning opportunities with real-world applications” is an important goal for UND. The Feb. 26 program, titled “The Experience Spotlight: Real World Insights Beyond the Classroom,” was meant to help students learn about and take advantage of those opportunities.

Studying abroad

“Why not study abroad?” Olivia Lotysz, who studied abroad in Spain, asked the crowd. “It’s the most fun way to learn about a ton of things. You get to travel every weekend; you get to meet new people; and the most exciting thing is, you get to learn new languages and try new food.”

Lotysz was one of several students who shared their experiences of leaving the safety of the United States, studying in new places, meeting new friends and learning about new cultures and foods.

For example, Natalie Prentice and Erin Waletzko studied and interned abroad together in Florence, Italy, and embraced every aspect of the experience. During their stay, Prentice interned in the field of social media and Waletzko in computer software programming.

“You need to reach out and not be afraid of meeting new people,” said Prentice, “because I think that is one of the best parts of studying abroad.”

Studying abroad gave students such as Autumn Pulver, a social media intern in Galway, Ireland, the chance to discover things about themselves. Traveling “completely by myself and on my own was definitely a unique experience, something I’ve never really done before,” Pulver said. “But it was really fun to do, and I kind of discovered that I like solo travel.”

There were also students who, like Adleigh Handeland, studied abroad in Norway and found real-world connections with their home. “We got to go to the Norse Folk Museum, and that church actually has a replica in my hometown of Minot,” Handeland said.

“So, it was just really cool to have grown up in Minot and seen that church, then going abroad and seeing the real life building that it had been replicated from.”

Studying abroad in America

Then there were students who came to UND as their own experience of “study abroad.” Among them, Tanwa Iwayemi and Oluchukwu Sunday shared stories about traveling to Grand Forks from overseas.

For her part, Sunday has gotten several opportunities to learn about entrepreneurship while at UND. “It gave me the ability to translate my dreams into reality,” she said.

Of course, there were some challenges, including figuring out how to use America’s often-confusing-to-foreigners currency. For example, bank note denominations in other countries often have different colors, making them easier to tell apart at a glance than the United States’ all-green currency.

Sunday’s tip: “The best way to learn about currency is to go to the bank,” she said. “That is my best advice.”

Food

Another key topic was food, and the cultural role it played during UND students’ experiences overseas. To sweeten the point, food served at the event helped highlight the culinary aspect of some cultures that were being presented.

“Trying new foods in every country that you travel to is one of the coolest ways you can explore cultures,” as Olivia Lotysz, whose program took her to Barcelona, put it. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

And as Adleigh Handeland described when talking about her experience in Norway, tasting chocolate-filled lefse – compared with the butter-and-sugar or brown-sugar fillings that most Midwesterners know – was a treat.

Internships

Some students had the chance to take what they learned in the classroom and apply it to a real job. For example, Precious Dada has had two internships in event planning, one with Grand Forks City Planning and another at the HIVE.

Dada talked about what she has learned at her internships, especially regarding the importance of a work-life balance. She also talked about her time helping with the national UAS Summit here in Grand Forks and what that experience was like.

“Everyone wants you to succeed,” she said, noting that most employers and others are very willing to help interns. “So always ask questions and make good use of your connections.”

Moreover, even if you fail, “it’s not always the end of it all,” she said. “You might take a step back; you might just have time to reflect to yourself. But you should always keep going.”

Research

By taking advantage of research opportunities, many students can both pursue a topic that interests them and prepare themselves for graduate school.

Nichole Dumlao is currently working in three research labs, as well as interning, volunteering, leading extracurricular activities and taking classes. With this background in mind, Dumlao laid out her four-step process college success:

• “Stage one is all about understanding yourself, what you want and what you want to give,” she said.
• Once you figure out what you want, “Stage Two is building up your arsenal or your inventory.”
• “In the third stage, you have to actively seek jobs and information out,” said Dumlao.
• “Stage four is targeting your approach,” said Dumlao. This means finding what you want and researching it, then reaching out to people who can help you reach your goals.

Advice from students

Erin Waletzko, who studied/interned abroad in Florence, Italy: “The experience you gain, and the life lessons you learn from just being in a new country by yourself and meeting new people, learning new cultures, trying new things – it’s just the best.”

Autumn Pulver, who interned abroad in Galway, Ireland: “Sometimes you’re going to be overwhelmed. You’re going to be in new situations that are foreign to you and not really fun and exciting. But you’ll figure them out; you’ll get through those days, you’ll push through and persevere.”

Oluchukwu Sunday, from Nigeria studying abroad at UND: “Do not limit yourself because you’re somewhere else. There are people out there whom you can speak with. And that’s why I’m very grateful to the Career Center, because they helped me develop the confidence of writing a cover letter, creating my resume and using my resume to show skills I’d need in a particular job.”

Sydney Maier, who studied abroad in Thailand: “I would highly recommend Thailand to anybody considering traveling. Just take a peek at it; it might be right up your alley.”

Nichole Dumlao, about her internships and research: “Most important, you have to talk to people. Talk to your professors during your after-hours. Talk to upperclassmen; usually when they’re graduating, their lab will have an opening, and maybe they could vouch for you and help you become their replacement.”

Casia Steinhaus, who interned with NASA: “Anyone who might be wanting to intern for NASA, I would highly suggest reaching out to the Experiential Learning Center and the North Dakota Space Grant Consortium”

Liam Ghahreman, who studied abroad and played volleyball in France: “At an amazing time, they took me in as one of their own, and I really became a member of the team, as you can see our celebration. So that’s a memory I’ll cherish forever.

“There’s a technicality that I can say I’m a European volleyball champion,” Ghahreman added. “Admissions committees are looking for unique experiences. They want something to distinguish you from other people.

“So go talk to the Experiential Learning Center.”

****

>> Questions or comments about the UND LEADS Strategic Plan? Your thoughts are welcome! Please contact Mike Wozniak, coordinator of Leadership & Programming, and/or Ryan Zerr, associate vice president for Strategy & Implementation, the co-chairs of the UND LEADS Implementation Committee. You also may offer your thoughts by visiting the UND LEADS Strategic Plan home page and clicking on the “Provide your feedback” link.

Thank you for your support of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan!

About the author:

Madison Dame is a Communications and Journalism major at UND. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career as a journalist.