" Hawaii has been awesome! The house is super nice and tidy, and the people are really friendly. I went on the field trip this week, snorkeled with dolphins and helped out the people taking the water quality samples. Super fun! Overall it has been a great experience and I have a feeling it will stay this way. Oh and also I got to know 2 girls from Puerto Rico, so I don't feel so far away from home!"

-Beatriz R.

"Actually helped the office in the northeast with tsunami relief operations and helping refugees with soup kitchen and non-food item delivery. I also got to represent the NGO I was working in at a NGO networking meeting in the U.S. embassy! My supervisor was great, she always had tasks to give me, but also was open to me asking her for assistance, which I did a lot. I felt very welcomed and accommodated at the office."

-Nael K.

" I'm glad to hear you've heard good news about me from the Director because I've truly, truly been enjoying this internship! I filmed a video walking through the museum just yesterday. After the internship itself- it's really, really great!! Thank you again and again for organizing everything!"

- Kiyomi J.

"The house, the town and weather are great! We went to the Capital last Sunday it's really convenient from where we live. The rehabilitation is center is great! In one word, I like this internship and enjoy my time. Thank you very much for your work."

- Lou Z.

" The program was fantastic. I learned a lot! I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in Buddhism and helping children. It's great opportunity to get comfortable here while making new friends from all over the world. I even got to know a couple of the monks pretty well. I am now working with the kids after their school. It's been a little challenging at times, but really fun."

- Louisse W.

" I compose my own music and really wanted to work in a sound studio to learn more about the craft. IGS helped locate one of the premier sound editing studios in Sydney. Top artists from around the county come here to create musical scores for movies, documentaries, commercials and their own private gigs. They got me my own studio space to work on my sound. And, I am able to assist other producers on some really exciting projects. Learning on the latest equipment and seeing how professionals organize their music will really help me for the future. The director of the studio even had me and my cousin over for dinner. These guys are real pros.” 

- Max L.

“The coolest part of working at the Virtual Reality Studio is the amount of responsibility I am given. From Day One they trained me to be a Game Master. I do the same job that the owner of the company does. First I introduce clients to the rules of the game and how the equipment works. Then comes the neat part. I monitor the mainframe computer when the participants are playing. On my screen, I see what the players see. If the players are on Mars and they can’t find a tool they need, I give them a hint. My job is to keep the game moving along and allow the players to feel challenge, but give tips when they are frustrated.”

-Henry D.

"My time so far working with Dave at Institute for Global Studies has been nothing but exceptional. From our first phone conversation, Dave has been  nothing but engaged and committed to myself as an individual, and that holds true for the other seven members of our group. Our group orientation week was fantastic. We are able learn about New Zealand's history through museum visits, tours guided by locals,  and trips to some of New Zealand's beautiful natural offerings, including the renowned Piha Beach. The housing situation is far better than what I could have possibly imagined. Myself and three others are in a pretty, spacious, and modern apartment overlooking  the ocean with Waiheke island in the distance. Not to mention, we are practically in the heart of the city of Auckland; a five minute walk to Queen Street and ten minute walk to the base of the Sky Tower.

 

The internships started after we had a full week of orientation, which also gave us the time to do some exploring on our own and settle in before  we got engaged in our work. My experience with my internship so far has been tremendous. Working at Lot23 has allowed me 

to meet some awesome individuals and learn about the restaurant business. From talking with the other group members about their internships,  everyone is more than satisfied. My two friends working at the animal park have had nothing but awesome stories to tell, and everyone else has only spoken positively about their internships as well.

 

Overall, the quality of the program has exceeded my expectations and I credit a lot of that to the hard work that Dave puts into this. His commitment  to his students is quite visible and gives us motivation to work hard.

 

This is a program I would highly recommend to any student interested in taking gap time.

https://www.facebook.com/IGSInternDownUnder/.”

​

-Luke O.

"I was the second Down Under Tom to work with them so they called me Texas Tom. These guys are really a fun group to work with. This is not just their job but their passion. I had a chance to help set up the studio when companies booked the space to film commercials. Also, I learned about all the latest equipment to check in and out to their clients. These guys work with some of the top film crews in the world so being around that really inspired me."​

-Thomas S.

"Work with the crew at Kingsize was the best part of the internship. They liked that I was from America and were always curious to learn more about me. They taught me a bunch about the equipment they use and I liked being on my feet throughout the day helping to outfit clients. It’s a fun work environment where people are super serious but always ready for a good laugh.”​

-Thomas O.

"Usually I take my photos in the field so this internship allowed me a chance to learn studio photography. They taught me discipline, tips with lighting, and how to photograph people in a fixed setting. They appreciated my knowledge of cameras and put me on timely projects. The staff works extremely hard and this was truly a professional internship.” ​

-Max A.

"Working at The Photography Studio in Sydney was a dream come true. They are true professionals from start to finish. Once I saw how much I could learn and the responsibilities they placed in me I asked to increase my hours and actually changed my flight so I could stay another month and a half. I got to work with award winning photographers and assisted on all aspects of their work.” 

-Sarah V.

"I was more interested in the marketing side of the newspaper. My job duties include expanding our publication into a new district in the city. This is fun work as I get to learn all kinds of new things about the area. Approaching businesses is real-life work. I see the results immediately when I get a sale and it’s a good feeling to succeed in the real world.”

-Jack S.

"The greatest part of working for the newspaper is how many articles I get to write. I submitted four pieces after only two weeks! It’s really fun to research topics in a foreign country and learn about the culture and what is important to people here. This is going to be amazing for my resume.” ​

-Gabe M.

"It was always a dream of mine to work overseas in finance. Coming to Sydney and working with one of the leading financial planners was amazing. I learned so much about the mortgage industry and how to generate new business and clients. I worked side-by-side with the owner of the company and attended important meetings in the field. It could not have been better.”​

-Will S.

"I really liked the fast pace and challenge. Avenues has an amazing reputation. Once they saw that I was skilled at Microsoft Office and some design they treated me like one of the gang. They put me on some high profile events and I got to use my creative skills to help with brochures and other material. The best part was going to the events. These were high end functions and sometimes finished late into the evening. It’s a great place if you like to be challenged. Working with a all-female staff was cool as well.”

-Julia S.

"I wanted a professional internship in the marketing field and they found the perfect match. What a great office right in the heart of the city with a view of the park and high rises. The best part is the job duties they assign. I get to meet their clients and sit in when they develop their marketing plans for them. I then assist with creating a social media presence for the client and as well some graphic work. If they are doing a google ads campaign I help with those submissions as well. They have offices around the world so it is neat being with an international firm.”

-Nick G.

"It was neat working with a nearly all-female staff of professionals. They gave me a nice choice of job duties doing event planning, working in their herb garden, and assisting in stream conservation. I really appreciated their mission of helping to educate the community and to conserve the fragile freshwater ecosystems in the mountains above Auckland. They were super helpful and I am really glad I chose this internship.”

-Lauren J.

"Working with Jasmine and her staff at the Dog Daycare was great. They are super friendly and supportive. The location was right in the heart of a really cool suburb with tons of restaurants to sample. They had me walk the dogs twice a day and oversee the “pack” upstairs. My job was to keep them under control and to settle down the dogs if they got too excited. As a dog owner this was right up my alley. Just being around that many different breeds you get to learn a lot about how they are similar and different."

- Eli S.

"Greetings!​ I spent my fall in Malawi, Africa before joining Intern Down Under. I interned with an archaeologist in Sydney and at an animal park in Auckland. I helped organize some weekend excursions for the group to Hobbiton where Lord of the Rings was filmed and to a mountain getaway on the coast. Sampling new restaurants is a favorite pastime and you can see some of my restaurant and excursion reviews below."

-Will S.

"Hi Guys! I’m Natasha from New York. I am on my Gap Year with Interim Programs and they introduced me to Dr. David Adams and the Institute for Global Studies. I just spent a month interning for IGS in Sydney. It fell into place perfectly as I always dreamed of living in Sydney and IGS had a research position for their Intern Down Under program. worked directly with David to set up a really cool places to see list for future Intern Down Under participants like yourself. My background is in advertising and design and interning with IGS allowed me to apply my skills while fulfilling my Australia dream. I learned some amazing history during my research. And, the best part was getting out to see the sites! Inspired by what I saw, I organized my impressions to help you get an idea of all that you can explore while here. Sydney is a place unlike any other: full of unique suburbs, quirky city blocks, and truly diverse natural environments! One day I started my research surrounded by skyscrapers and ten minutes later I was on a white sand beach! My Sydney experience with IGS was wonderful and Intern Down Under is going to be a blast! "

-Ellie S.

"I worked with a company that ran tours into the Hunter Valley wine country two hours north of Sydney. I conducted a survey of the competition in the area and made suggestions to the owner on how to update his social media pages so he was more competitive. We worked together to prepare the meals for the day. On the bus, my job was to go between guests and tell them little things about where we were going and what to expect. And, sometimes just to shoot the breeze. When we stopped at a scenic lookout, the owner and I would get out the cheese tray and serve exotic cheeses. And I accompanied them on the wine tasting at the various locations and made sure everyone knew where the bathroom was and showing them the basics.”

-Drew S.

"I got a chance to work at one of the premier rugby leagues in the city. I helped out in their main office across from the stadium. Our job was to promote all the teams and their matches. My project was to design a marketing plan that would help them gain exposure to a set of industries that were under represented. So we came up with a strategy to approach those businesses and get new sponsors for the stadium and the teams. It was fun meeting some of the players and learning about rugby union. I didn’t realize there were different types of rugby rules and leagues. Now I even have a favorite team to root for.”

-Austin F.

"I worked at a radio station in Sydney that focused on local artists and Aboriginal music in general. It was neat to see local singers and groups come into the station to promote their music. My job at the station was to help book the talent. So I reached out  to the agents or singers themselves to schedule times to come in. I also helped coordinate events for the station.  This required me to reach out to local businesses and people in the community which I liked. Watching how a radio show is put together was a  valuable learning experience. There is a lot that goes into it and I got a chance to be part of it all.” 

-Alison R.

"I enjoyed my time at The Hobson and learned a lot about community journalism. Seeing my work published in such a respected place made me proud of myself. I liked the balance of meeting with the editor some days and then going in the field to do my research. Writing about the community gave me a chance to see how political issues are handled in a different country. Also, having an assignment near the beach was really cool.”

-Kendall B.