Blog Archives

  • Blog

Food for the Seoul

GRIP: Media in Seoul in Seoul, South Korea Embarking upon my summer journey in Seoul as a marketing intern has brought forth already many unforgettable experiences, blending creative workdays with the vibrant energy of this dynamic city. From navigating new neighborhoods, collecting photobooth memories with friends, to sharing delicious meals, every moment brings something new…

  • Blog

Finding Out What Really Interests Me

GRIP: Eurolife FHH in Athens, Greece A key skill that I developed was the process of making a decision on an investment opportunity. Coming in, I thought it was mainly about the technical aspect and numbers that drive a decision to invest in a company, bond, or option, but that there is so much more…

  • Blog

BKK Log

GRIP: PR and Marketing in Bangkok, Thailand Thai is not a very easy language to pick up as a foreigner. In all my time in Bangkok, I collected at most a handful basic phrases, each used to varying degrees of success. Hello. Yes (and no). Could I get this? Please go slowly (this was useful…

  • Blog

Place Matters

GRIP: Taipei City Government in Taipei, Taiwan If this internship has taught me anything, it’s that your location and environment shapes you in more ways than you think. Your environment doesn’t just shape your habits—it influences how you think, communicate, and even perceive yourself. This summer, I was an intern at Taipei City Government Department…

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Broadened Horizons

GRIP: Nursing Research in Dublin, Ireland I have nothing but gratitude for the GRIP experience still, looking back. There was nothing to be wasted out of all that I was able to engage in, from the work and research-related aspects, to the life skills fully realized and gained. To expand on the first aspect: this…

  • Blog

Abroad in India

GRIP: The Tata Group This summer, I had the chance to live and work in India for ten weeks, marking not only my first internship abroad but also my very first time visiting the country. It was an experience that blended professional growth with personal discovery in ways I could never have anticipated. Landing in…

  • Blog

Waiheke Island Log

GRIP: Social Sciences and Humanities Research in Auckland, New Zealand During my first week in Auckland, New Zealand, our student cohort visited Waiheke Island, where we stayed at a Marae and participated in traditional rituals within Māori culture. To enter the Marae we needed to be introduced by our guide, who already formed part of…

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From Penn to the Pacific: My Internship Experience in Auckland

GRIP: Social Sciences and Humanities Research in Auckland, New Zealand My internship in New Zealand took place at the University of Auckland, where I dove into historical research on German intervention in Samoa between 1900-1914. What began as a project on colonial dynamics quickly expanded backwards into the 1870s, as I traced how racial hierarchies…

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Diversity within Colombia: The Amazon Rainforest

GRIP: FinTech in Medellin One of the most interesting parts of Colombian culture shock this summer was my experience being in the Amazon’s rainforest and meeting its people. For four nights, I toured the river-region of the Colombian Amazonas department. There, I stayed in its capital city of ~35,000 and then briefly lived on an…

  • Blog

The Architecture of Taste: Singapore’s History Preserved in Hawker Centres

GRIP: Business Development in Singapore, Singapore $4 kaya toast with two soft boiled eggs and an iced teh. I had just landed in Singapore the evening before, and this breakfast was my first glimpse into everyday local life. I found myself at K88 Kopitiam, a humble little coffeehouse tucked into a food court off the…