Although this international exchange was virtual, it was an immersive learning experience that I would do all over again. I held multiple interviews with different teachers weekly to get a sense of how the organization runs. At the end of my internship, I was also able to create a final report about my whole experience during the six weeks I was working with Liceo HVW.
The report analyzed my experiences during the online internship with Liceo HVW, basically a high school for adults located inside the premises of the Santiago Sur Preventive Detention Center. I worked mainly through interviews with the teachers to create presentations and written works about them. My presentations consisted of: the educational system in Chile, a cultural audit of the Liceo HVW and an analysis of the stories and experiences shared by the teachers of the Liceo. While the circumstances surrounding my online internship were not ideal due to the pandemic, my experience greatly enhanced my knowledge of the concepts I had acquired over the summer by giving me new practical knowledge. I also learned valuable lessons on education and social change organizations in Santiago, Chile. The aspect that I enjoyed the most was learning the different reasons why the teachers do their job. I can’t wait to share more in detail about my struggles and outcomes from the internship. For now, know that because of this internship, I was able to realize that I loved working with organizations and wanted to look for a job that did just that.
Since then, I have moved back to Houston, and am currently working at the University of Houston Downtown (UHD) in the Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning (CCESL).
