Intern at BYU Magazine, 2015; Unite for Sight–Ghana, Spring 2016
For my international development minor, I worked in Ghana with an NGO called Unite For Sight, which partnered with local eye clinics and optometrists to provide affordable eye care and eradicate preventable blindness.
If a student asked you about interning in Ghana, what would you say? I would say, “GO FOR IT!” It was such a great experience. A lot of students want to do international internships to travel, and I did get to see a lot of Ghana, but I was working 6 days a week. It was hard, long hours, but totally worth it.
What is your advice to future interns to help them have a successful experience? My advice would be to pack less than you think you’ll need, ask the locals questions (seriously, any questions you have!), keep your mind open, and don’t hesitate to try new things. When in doubt, follow the lead of locals.
What was the most rewarding aspect of your internship experience? I think that the most rewarding aspect of working with Unite For Sight was seeing people who truly needed help receiving it. I loved watching people I had helped receive free eye surgeries and regain their sight. I liked knowing that the little things I did every day, though they seemed menial to me, were so helpful to the optometrists I worked with (and they routinely saw 100+ patients per day!).
Anything else you’d like to share about your experience? Everyone should do it! Internships provide invaluable experience that can help shape your education and future plans. My internship also helped me learn about myself.