“Valencia, Barcelona, Prague, Córdoba, Sevilla, Pamplona, Madrid, Toledo, Lisboa, Fátima, Canary Islands, Ronda, Málaga, Paris, Budapest, London, Bratislava…” This may sound like a travel agent’s list of European hot spots, but these are actually the places I have visited during and after my York International Internship Program (YIIP).
In 2003, I applied to my first, and what I thought at that moment would be my only, international internship experience. I remember sitting in the reception area of York International waiting for my turn to be interviewed for one of the twenty-six positions being offered. During the interview, I was asked “Why do you want to have this international experience?” It seemed so clear to me at the time why I wanted to go abroad. I had been trained as a secondary school teacher in History and English at York’s concurrent education program, and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to strengthen my skills and knowledge as a teacher. I still remember that question because my answer changed drastically after the three months I spent interning at the Office of International Relations in Valencia, Spain.
YIIP was the first of its kind in Canada back in 2003, because it provided not only placements for students, but also a $3,000 scholarship to all participants. Additionally, we were allowed to apply for a bursary to cover our flight expenses. The YIIP program enabled me to spend three months in Europe, which, at the time, would have been but a pipe dream for students like me with low incomes.
Valencia
My placement at the University of Valencia was an experience I will never forget because it opened up many doors of opportunity that I had not realized existed. For three months, I worked helping students with their inquiries on study abroad opportunities offered by their university, as well as orienting those students travelling to Canada. I also completed administrative duties such as answering phones and e-mails, filing, and offering translation services. I really enjoyed advising and helping students go abroad to study-abroad experiences. It was also very exciting to be able to travel while on my internship. It was exciting to see many of the famous historic landmarks and to meet wonderful people within my local community — such as my elderly neighbour, who would tell me stories about life in the time of Franco — but also through my travels to other countries. During my busy time, I managed to squeeze in some local culture such as watching a bullfight, eating authentic tapas and paella, drinking sangria, watching flamenco dancers, and enjoying the olive tree-canopied roads. These and others were experiences that I knew would make me not only a better teacher, but also a better, more rounded person overall.
Granada, Spain
While in Valencia, I realized that as much as I enjoyed teaching, I enjoyed gearing students toward international experiences much more. I found myself believing increasingly in the true goals of international education: helping students to widen their perspectives, enriching their educational experiences, and opening new doors of opportunities for them. This was the career I wanted to pursue, and when I returned home, I made the decision to pursue a career in international education. After completing my MA in History at York, I applied to a competitive internship position in Spain offered by the International Council of Canadian Studies (ICCS). The international experience offered by York helped me to obtain one of only ten positions available nationwide.
Córdoba
For six months, I taught Canadian literature at the University of Córdoba. It was an amazing period when I got to learn so much, not only about teaching in a university and working with faculty, but also about the unique culture of southern Spain. Córdoba is a small city, with extremely old but well-kept buildings, and historic castle walls and forts. Everything around me screamed its past and the historical feel of the older quarter was intoxicating. I also travelled all over southern Spain and met so many wonderful people who lived such different lifestyles from my own. For a brief moment, these people shared their lives and culture with me. It was very enriching not only to learn about them, but also to teach them about my own culture. Life in Toronto was very interesting to them, as most people I met had not travelled to Canada. It gave me a sense of pride to learn that most of the people I met had positive thoughts about Canada and Canadians. It was also very interesting for me to learn that there were people who were eager to learn more about Canada by taking a course in Canadian literature.
One of the most interesting parts of being abroad is living and sharing your personal space with people of a different culture. Living with anyone can be hard, and living with someone who has completely different cultural expectations than you can be even more difficult if you don’t know how to adapt to different circumstances. One of my roommates was an Italian and I found that we had such different views regarding drinking, dating, religion, food, cleaning and cooking. These were differences that any two people can have but they were exacerbated when living together in an unfamiliar environment.
Lisboa, Portugal
There is also the language barrier. Even though I spoke fluent Spanish, there were many local sayings that would have driven any Spanish-speaking novice to distraction. I cannot tell you how many times my roommates looked at me with a blank stare as they tried to decipher what it was that I was trying to communicate, and in the end they would jokingly say, “It’s a good thing you're teaching Canadian literature in English and not in Spanish.” I have been lucky with all the roommates I have had the pleasure of living with. I realize that there are many people who cannot say the same thing, but somehow in both my international experiences, I ended up with people who were really caring, who shared their experiences, and who taught me a lot about Spanish culture.
Back Home
After my six months in Córdoba, I came home and re-entered my life in Canada as a young professional looking to enter the field of international higher education. I applied to a competitive internship offered by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Since my first experience with York, my curriculum vitae had grown tremendously. I had experience working with faculty, teaching a university class, advising students on study abroad opportunities, presenting at a conference, researching and maintaining databases, and carrying out general administrative duties. I had also built many friendships along the way with interesting and talented people and had visited many historical landmarks and cities while in Europe. All these experiences, plus my genuine passion and eagerness to learn more about international higher education, helped me to acquire one of the ten positions with AUCC, and I was placed at the American Council on Education (ACE) in Washington, DC.
Washington, DC
The internship position with ACE in its Center for International Initiatives was for six months assisting the vice president for international initiatives and the department with general academic and administrative duties. I conducted research for a publication on U.S. branch campuses abroad, I administered a panel on higher education in Latin America at ACE’s Annual Meeting, and I helped to plan both small and large meetings. By my fourth month into the internship, I was asked to stay for ten months instead of six as the executive assistant to the vice president for international initiatives. When I first arrived in the U.S., I did not expect to experience culture shock, as I believed that the U.S. would not be that different from Canada. I was completely mistaken, as I found myself experiencing more culture shock in the U.S. than I had experienced in Spain.
Washington, DC
I found that in Washington, DC, there was a lot more segregation than I thought there would be. I felt the city was divided into areas where white, black and Hispanic people lived with their own racial background. Even though Toronto has a little Italy, a little Portugal, and a Chinatown or two (among many ethnic neighbourhoods), I never felt that Toronto was segregated in such a manner as DC.
It taught me that one should not assume anything about another country or culture. My stay at ACE has since come to an end. I have learned so much about American universities and higher education from the many highly-talented people with whom I worked. As an executive assistant, I was not only able to continue conducting research, but I also learned how to do many critical administrative tasks that are essential when working in an office that communicates with and receives numerous international visitors and university presidents.
Looking Forward
I am excited to be facing a new stage in my career within the field of international education. I am looking forward to returning to Toronto and pursuing a new position. Most students do not decide to enter the international education field after one international experience. In my case, however, the opportunity that York International gave me allowed me to find my true calling. Through international education, I hope I can help other students develop and strengthen the skills they need to find a career that inspires them. I know that I have found my inspiration.
Author's Information
Lourdes Calderon is presently working as a study abroad advisor at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. Lourdes has held an AUCC (Association of University and Colleges in Canada) internship with the American Council on Education in Washington, DC; an internship with ICCS (International Council for Canadian Studies) with the University of Córdoba, Spain, and a York University internship with the University of Valencia, Spain. She is a York University graduate with an MA in History, a BEd for Intermediate/Senior students, and a BA in History and English.
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