Intern Spotlight: Sofia Desenberg

By Sofia Desenberg, FCLC 2013

During my time at Fordham College Lincoln Center, I interned with a unique and innovative educational non-profit called Reach The World (RTW). Reach the World pairs elementary and middle school classes with college students who are studying abroad to build on-line relationships that deepen students' understandings of foreign nations and expose them to study abroad opportunities. Furthermore, the program's focus on Skype calls with travelers and online learning tools sharpens the technological skills of students and teachers. The study abroad students are often Gilman Scholarship recipients, and some of my fellow interns and supervisors are recipients as well. The scholarship has close ties with this organization, so if you are interested in the scholarship, this is a great organization to get involved with!

As an International Studies major with an interest in working in the non-profit sector,  the mission of RTW perfectly aligned with both my academic focus and my professional ambitions. I learned about the internship through a co-worker from my past position as a tutor - however I noticed that RTW is also a frequent presence at LC and RH career fairs!

At Reach The World, I gained valuable in-classroom experience as well as off-site leadership and communication skills. I was tasked with leading day-time and after-school lessons on global awareness, cross-cultural exchange, geography, and even international social and political issues with students as young as five and as old as fourteen. My coursework at Fordham tended to directly compliment my activity at RTW. My knowledge of international affairs and organizations allowed me to easily supplement the lessons and meet the needs of teachers. I remember walking into a third grade class and being greeted with "Ms. Sofia, if China has a president, does that mean it is a democracy like us?" Another seventh grader asked, "So you are telling me RTW can help me become a diplomat?" I answered no and yes respectively.

I also gained experience as the main point of contact between students, educators, and travelers. I learned lots of multi-tasking skills as I was constantly juggling communication between many people and working on different projects. I was consistently pushed to explore new possibilities when it came to bringing information and teaching techniques into the classrooms. Because of RTW's partnerships, I also gained experience with two other organizations - Citizen Schools and BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life). So through RTW, I actually received intern/volunteer experience with three organizations! It was an amazing opportunity to witness the inner workings of three separate non-profit agencies all striving for the same goal of bettering the educational opportunities for youth in NYC.

I perceive my experience in NYC classrooms - at a total of four different schools and eight different classes - as an advantage when it comes to working in education. I find that even Teach for America applicants rarely have in-classroom experience before they apply, and after working directly with students and teachers, I feel that I have a strengthened understanding of the field of education. Furthermore, I see how partnerships between schools and non-profits function.

Unlike other internships opportunities, RTW was concerned about my personal and professional growth and provided continued support instead of pressuring me to magically know the right answer. Although I was free to make my own trouble-shooting decisions and suggestions, my supervisors consistently offered helpful advice and solutions anytime I consulted them. I often hear complaints from interns at other organizations about the lack of opportunities to learn, but at RTW that was not my experience. We had three or four intern meetings per semester which offered planning support, sharing of best-practices, and my supervisor often slipped in lessons about professional development into planning meetings! For instance, we practiced pitching our final presentation ideas with short, on-the-spot speeches. I distinctly remember my supervisor noting a certain experience of mine as an answer to the common interview question "What is a challenge you encountered?" - And I use that answer to this day! I was so grateful for the close relationships I built with my supervisors and fellow interns and never felt abandoned or lost. During off-site events - intern meetings, social hours, fundraisers - I was able to practice networking skills that are still very valuable to me!

I spent two years with Reach The World. I love being able to discuss the unique mission of the organization to professional contacts and am very proud to be able to cite it as my current position. The organization always earns an eyebrow raise from whoever I am talking to and captures interest. I am currently being considered for a full-time position in non-profit management and could not have achieved an interview without my experience at RTW. As I make the transition into full-time work, I will continue to volunteer with Reach the World if I have some spare hours during the week. The pay-off of seeing students and teachers advance their understanding of the world around them as well as the strong personal relationships I have built will keep me coming back! I strongly recommend an internship with this efficient and well-run, modern, and unique organization to anyone with an interest in international education or non-profits.