Students Internship Experiences

Internships Abroad

Caroline Hill has completed a three month internship in Cape Town, South Africa at Leroy Wasserfall Architects. She worked on large scale commercial projects and a sustainable, environmenally friendly project.

Julie Barghout, an IARc 4th year student, completed an internship with Al-Hamad Contracting Company located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She worked on the Mariott Executive Apartment Suite Complex project located in Bahrain. The internship included floor pattern designs, floor and ceiling plans, furniture and product design, and interior finishes and lighting. Julie says, "what an experience!"

Jevin Dornic, another IARc 4th year student, completed an internship with Zaha Hadid Architects in London. Everyday was a chance for him to practice the role of a designer in such a high profile and growing firm.  Jevin spent just over a month working in London, but his experience continued a few months later when he attended the opening of the Guggenheim Exhibition in New York.  It was a privilege and an eye opening experience for Jevin to work on the exhibition with such talented architects and designers.  Jevin says, "Overall, I think the most important thing I learned at Zaha’s office was that sometimes design happens by chance, but for the most part it is a process of developing failures, even as a professional."

Jennifer Adler, a 5th year student, has completed an internship with Jae Cha in Gambia, Africa. The following is an email from her she worte during her time overseas:

"Salam maley cume-
(Peace be with you, a common Jolla greeting)

Here I am, one more week down!  This week was spent in the workshop
mainly. On Tuesday Callie and I were excited to complete our building
model, but the excitement did not last too long because on Thursday
Jae told us she wanted to make another one, the same scale with a
different material.  We were also able to go up on the roof of one
wing of the medical center to see the progress that had been made; it
was incredible to see all that had been done.  Wednesday Callie and I
were given the day off to travel with the Korean Doctors. First, we
took a ferry across the river and took a tour bus through the villages
where we were able to see monkeys swinging in the trees, rare birds
and large termite mounds.  Our tour guide broke off a piece of a 12ft
high mound and told us about the termite's ability to rebuild the
broken piece quickly. We visited Kunta Kinteh's village, if any of you
are familiar with Alex Haney's book Roots, the story about Kunta
Kinteh, a slave who tried to escape slavery.  Alex Haney traced his
heritage back to Kunta Kinteh and located his village in  Gambia.  We
were able to meet one of Kunta Kinteh's living relatives while we were
there.  Across the river is James Island; we enjoyed a nice trip on a
fishing boat over to the Island.  James Island is a historic site that
was once a slave trade post and we learned that most of the slaves
that were taken to North and South Carolina were from Gambia. Then
after returning from the Island we ate lunch and I found that certain
Korean foods make me feel awful.  We returned to the ferry only to
find out that we would have to wait two hours.  In order to pass the
time, most of the UNCGers will appreciate this; we played Mafia with
some of the younger Doctors and children of the missionaries.  And I
must say that the one time I was Mafia, I actually won…probably
because they didn't know me very well so they found it hard to accuse
me.

Since Wednesday had been a long and exhausting day, Jae told us to
come in after lunch on Thursday.  Callie and I had planned to have a
nice breakfast of scrambled eggs and hash browns, but soon realized
that even that is quite a task in Gambia.  Just as the hash browns
were beginning to cook in our pot (because until today we could not
find a frying pan) on our one small electric burner…the power went
out.  So we gave up trying when the power hadn't come on for 2 hrs and
made ourselves sandwiches.  The power came on one hour later and we
were able to enjoy it for an hour before we had to head into work.
Jae could not make it in so Callie and I spent the afternoon working
on our 3D models of the medical center and got quite a bit done on
them.  And on Friday we got started on the new model.  Saturday is my
favorite day of course, because we have the day off, we spent this
Saturday at the beach relaxing.  Then Sunday we went to church, went
grocery shopping had lunch and washed clothes.  Thanks to Mo we got to
experience the Gambian washing machine instead of having to hand wash,
I took a lot less time, but was none the less an interesting
experience.  I am enjoying all of these things, however, because I
feel that without these mishaps, I would not have a truly Gambian
experience.

I would like you to pray for my support, I am still $510 short of my
support goal and realizing that living expenses in Gambia are more
then originally anticipated, so please be praying that God would
provide the money through friends and family or that God would make
the money I have sufficient for my needs here.  Also, pray that I
would view each day I am here as an opportunity to learn and grow and
that I would be excited about everything I have a chance to experience
while I am here. I truly desire to view everything I encounter as a
blessing.  Thank you for all your prayers and emails, they have
encouraged me more then you will ever know.

I miss you all very much and pray that you are doing well!

God Bless-
Jennifer Adler"
March 26, 2007