Summer 2019 Participant
Immersing in the Japanese culture/way of life and testing my academic knowledge on the professional level are the two major components of the program that stick out the most to me.
Indeed first, I consider the experience as a unique opportunity to trigger and develop a cross-cultural awareness skill. This involves adjusting to a new set of rules. I will mention interaction with the locals, the use of public transportation, etc.
Next, interning in Tokyo helped me widening my academic scope of the East Asian state. Japan is a major actor on the international scene whilst the state faces multiple social issues such child abuse and extreme poverty in the rural areas.
Additionally, the program was a golden opportunity to get my very first taste of the professional world and its inherent standards in a foreign and unfamiliar environment. The leading staff of YOUMEWE, the company I did my internship with, treat interns as part of its workforce. We were given the opportunity to explain our individual role during the program and our respective duties. We participated in multiple meetings and even contributed to the conception of the annual report of the organization.
Zane Hayden, Summer 2019 Participant
Something I found most rewarding was being able to experience part of the work/leisure dynamic in my host country because of my participation in the internship. This helped me get a better understanding of several aspects of my host country's culture, such as transportation and food.
Summer 2019 Participant
As a Global and International Studies major student I have only foreseen the State Department as the only career field upon graduating from KU. However, the internship abroad gave me a glimpse of an unfamiliar field. In fact, I was placed with YOUMEWE, a non-profit organization which is invested in introducing the youth living in children's homes in Japan to the world of digital literacy.
YOUMEWE relies of some of its major donors such Microsoft and Apple, to donate computers across Japan. The electronic devices then serve as teaching the kids living in the children's homes various programs. They range from Microsoft software certification in word, excel, power point, etc. to drawing, writing, and coding.
As a brand ambassador during my internship beside working on punctual admin tasks as directed by my supervisor, I was also tasked with monitoring a digital interface, which promotes online training and child development, called Night Zookeepers. My assignment involved sorting out data, ensuring of the practicality of the interface, and reviewing a curriculum which main goal is to prescribe online safety guidelines.
Mr. Clemons, the supervisor and founder of YOUMEWE also gave the interns the opportunity to participate in weekly home visits. We got the meet and interact with few of the kids living in the children’s homes in Tokyo on multiple occasion.
From the experience, I learnt that piloting a non-profit organization goes beyond a simple gesture of kindness and welfare. In reality, a non-profit organization actions shall consistently call upon having a critical and ever lasting effect on a community.
