I spent this past summer in Dublin, Ireland, through Notre Dame’s Irish Internship Program working for the educational non-profit Center for Talented Youth Ireland (“CTYI”). In Ireland, I lived with forty other Notre Dame students who all had different internships in Dublin (anything from the Bank of Ireland to the National Gallery of Ireland). These internships were fully funded (flights, housing, food, etc.) by generous Notre Dame donors and the Notre Dame Dublin Gateway. My work in the non-profit sector, as well as daily conversations with my coworkers and Irish locals, opened my eyes to the nuances of European Politics, Irish culture, and the importance of seeing the world outside of the Notre Dame campus. Some of my favorite memories from the summer were going on the famed Black Taxi tour in Belfast, biking across the Aran Islands in the pouring rain, and watching the Gaelic Football Championships in Galway. Working and traveling abroad helped me gain confidence in my abilities as a professional and as a new adult. One thing I would recommend about traveling abroad is doing at least one solo trip. Figuring out how to get from point A to point B all on your own can be extremely daunting at first, but in the end, it will show you just how capable you are! In addition to traveling and living in Ireland for eight weeks, I also worked at Starbucks in my hometown for a few weeks. It was good to see my coworkers and make some money before I headed back to school!
