Solace
By: Vivienne Chen, CAS ’22
The Linguaviva Centre – Dublin, Ireland
Starting a virtual internship, I was unsure how the cultural aspect would get incorporated into my experience working with an Irish company. As someone who has never traveled or had the privilege to vacation, I desperately wanted to take advantage of the abroad programs at Penn. Due to the pandemic, I was disappointed to accept that I would not be able to travel for the internship, but I was still adamant about participating in a virtual internship abroad. While COVID took away several other opportunities, time, and loved ones, it also provided an ironic sense of tranquility for me. Alone with my own thoughts and the involuntarily idle summer of 2020, I learned a lot about myself, my values, and took the time to reconcile with the complicated feelings I locked away during my semesters on-campus. One thing I concluded during this time was that I would love to work abroad in the future. By committing to VIA, it was another chance for me to work in a cross-cultural setting and I was eager to dive into my new environment.
Prior to the start of my internship, I knew I had to prepare myself mentally. I was excited, but it was important to remind myself that it was a virtual internship and to curb my expectations. It is very difficult to connect with people in a virtual setting; coupled with a time difference and no possible opportunities for direct contact, forming connections becomes an even more challenging task. Furthermore, I never had an initial interest in Ireland, but through my own navigation of our virtual norm this past year, I was happy to take my placement as another learning experience. The first two weeks of the internship provided me with a great balance between work and leisure; however, I definitely felt detached and was forced to reevaluate my goals and expectations even though I thought I prepared myself enough beforehand. In order for this internship to reflect an in-person experience (even to the slightest degree), I would have to put in a lot of my own work. This seems like a simple realization, but it is easier said than done. As I am not familiar with Irish culture and unable to surround myself with anything really, I decided to immerse myself in the cultural newsletters and activities provided to feel less removed.
The first activity and demonstration featured scones. The quintessential cup of tea paired with a crumbly scone has always been connected to the Atlantic Archipelago. I had always wanted to try to make scones, so I was glad to see it in the newsletter as it also allowed me to incorporate my newly developed quarantine skill of baking. I was able to take the weekend to go through the cultural series newsletter more carefully and settled on trying the recipe. The weather was quite gloomy the entire week, so it was the perfect afternoon snack to make. I followed the video instructions and enjoyed the virtual company of my program advisor throughout the process. Overall, I would say I was successful in my first attempt at scones and they were delicious with a nice cup of black tea. Through this cultural exploration, it was clear to me how genuinely proud and willing the Irish people are in sharing their culture with others. Although I will not be able to experience anything firsthand, I have properly received their warmth and hospitality and I look forward to the upcoming weeks.
The Virtual Internships Abroad (VIA) program provides self-directed and motivated Penn undergraduate students the opportunity to gain a fully funded professional work experience over the summer with a global employer, with the added convenience of working remotely.