GRIP, Internships Abroad The "New"

July 22, 2021
By Claire Utomi, Wharton '23

PanNature - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The best thing about new opportunities is the new. The new people, the new learning, the new skills, everything you discover. So, at this point, halfway through my internship, I’m going to talk about the new.

During my first research topic, I explored financial opportunities for my host organization. PanNature is an NGO that aims to protect the environment and wildlife in Vietnam, but like all things, they require funding to support their work. During my time with PanNature, I started with finding new financial opportunities, including corporate social responsibility funding and crowdfunding opportunities.

You would think that finding out how to get into the pockets of the biggest companies in the world was easy--at least I did for whatever reason, but if you’re smarter than me then you actually thought it would be hard, which it was. Companies really do not want you in their bag, and the first week working on my report really felt like they were purposefully doing everything to make sure I couldn’t get in there. This was my first challenge and the first opportunity for “new”.

When I applied to Wharton I did so on the premise, as stated on my official college application, that I would be Scooby-Doo, that I would explore every option available and grow as a result. Well, my GRIP internship is where I did just that. I learned a new way to find what I needed. Beyond using search engines and expecting the answers to fall into my lap, I had to go beyond the first page, use the advanced features available to me, and survey scholarly articles to find related clues that could lead me to what I was searching for; and I think the next essay I write will be better for it. 

The next new, was a new feeling. I consider myself a flexible and social person, but my virtual internship has really pushed my boundaries in terms of how well I was able to adapt to relationship building under these new conditions. I had to learn how to reach across the screen and connect with my coworkers in spite of the situation, and in the beginning, I felt a sort of disconnect I had never felt before--completely disorienting for me as someone who values relationships and building them. Ultimately, my GRIP buddy helped me move past this stage. With her advice about Vietnamese culture and work environments, I was able to connect with my PanNature supervisor and establish a new comfortable relationship. A screen isn’t a barrier to building relationships but your mindset and approach can be.

The last new thing I have encountered is a new mindset. During my internship, external factors as well as my actual experience enabled me to realize that greatness really is a choice. Whilst working independently, I had to choose to not procrastinate until the last minute and to meet every deadline regardless of reasonable excuses, not just to help us as an organization but to help myself develop as an individual. Our choices ultimately define us.

The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce.