Study Abroad - Internship Testimonials

"My internship with Forge Animation was better than I could have hoped for. I was surrounded by a group of amazing, talented, and fun people who made me feel welcomed each time I went to work. Their passion for animation and their 'never give up' attitude inspired me to never give up on my dreams and anything can be accomplished if you work hard enough. I was the marketing intern and helped with their social media, Kickstarter campaign, and also numerous French-English translations. I not only gained a greater sense of French business, but I also improved my French and made connections with great people who I will continue to keep in touch with."
- Anna H., University of Illinois at Chicago

“Through my nine-week internship in Barcelona, I learned how business and marketing are done differently and similarly to the United States, broadening my understanding of how culture and diversity plays a crucial part in the market. “Working there [Coop4Equality] was eye opening for me to understand how progressive Spain is and how they actively work to close the gap between genders. It helped me better understand the ways of Spanish government and the impact businesses can make in society. After the internship, I’m still working on my communication skills and strive to be a self-starter. I would tell College of Business students, ‘Don’t let anything hold you back from studying abroad! Your experiences will provide professional and life skills along with priceless memories you’ll cherish forever."
- Jessica H., University of Nebraska Lincoln

"My internship has definitely been a highlight of my semester. My French would not have improved this dramatically if I didn't do my internship. My coworkers were patient and gave me confidence with my French. I would recommend every student to take advantage of this opportunity because it provides cultural awareness and gives a new prospective on how business is conducted outside the United States." 
- Marina R., Grand Valley State University

"I enjoyed working one-on-one with my boss, Brice. It gave me the opportunity to take initiative and work on projects that I saw as important or helpful. Since it's such a small company, I wasn't pigeon-holed into one role and I was able to do so much more than Mr. de Monplanet was originally asking. Since one of my duties is contacting potential customers and travel agencies in the US, I had to switch between French and English a lot. The bilingual work environment helped me become better at thinking on my feet. I learned different marketing and communications skills that I can carry on to later work experience and even my personal life." 
- Kayla O., Boston College

"Inlingua is literally a place where you discover many languages, cultures, and you internalize them. Be ready to take a delightful challenge from french culture, yet the greatest delight of immersing in new and diverse cultures. You will teach, you will guide, but you will also learn and be guided." 
- Ericka V., University of Florida

"À mon stage à la Librairie le Blason, mon patron, une femme aimable et adorable, m'a aidé beaucoup à améliorer mon français." 
- Jennifer H., Towson University

"Le stage à La Victoire à été le défi le plus extraordinaire que j'ai jamais eu. Mon expérience m'a montre qu'il faut avoir patience et confiance en soi-même pour accomplir les objectifs qu'on désire. Non seulement j'ai pu développer mon habilité linguistique en Français, mais j'ai aussi fortifié ma connaissance du commerce textile et la liaison avec la culture provençale. C'était magnifique!" 
- Diana B., Fairfield University

Une visite au magasin, où le proprieteur explique l'histoire du Savon de Marseille
et réponds à toutes les quesions des étudiantes sur le marketing, le management et la communication

"My internship with a local theatre and gallery was an amazing way to integrate into the community of Aix-en-Provence. I will remember Isabelle and everyone else from the Ruben Vert company!" 
- Emily H., University of New Hampshire

"I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to be an intern abroad. My experience has given me a greater multicultural perspective, a greater confidence in my abilities, and a greater desire to explore multicultural studies. My internship challenged me in ways I have never been challenged before and led to immense growth as I acquired skills that I know will aid immensely in my future pursuits whether domestic or abroad." 
- Georgiana P., Ithaca College

"I worked at the La Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence, and while the internship was in French, I will write this in English. For anyone interested in international relations this internship would have been the perfect fit. My first days were spent learning about what the Mairie’s work abroad was, and about the system of French governance and French foreign affairs in general. In fact, my first assignment was to translate the international strategy plan that the city of Aix created to cover the next five years. I was mostly given translation work to do (which both improved my understanding of international affairs and my French language skills). I also did extensive research on making Aix more attractive abroad and the demographics of those who work and study here. My colleagues were always kind and patient and very excited to tell me about their jobs and Aix in general. It was an excellent experience, and one I cannot recommend highly enough." 
- Ewan H., Baylor University

"Bonjour tout le monde! Je m’appelle Danielle. J’ai effectué mon stage dans une entreprise qui s’appelle By Mademoiselle C. C’est une entreprise superbe qui organise les mariages dans le sud de France. J’ai eu deux patronnes fabuleuses qui s’appelaient Céline et Marjorie. Leur entreprise est très unique parce qu’elles ont beaucoup de clients qui parlent le français mais aussi l’anglais. Ce que j’ai fait pour elles était la traduction et l’insertion du média social. Je suis très contente que j’ai effectué ce stage parce qu' il m’a aidée beaucoup à améliorer mon français et à savoir plus à propos des entreprises françaises!" 
- Danielle B., University of Colorado at Boulder

"I worked for, La Coumpagnié, Biocoop Aix-en-Provence La Coumpagnié a BioCo-op cooperative that sells locally sourced organic food and merchandise. Along with the supermarket portion of the company, there also is a restaurant that produces fresh baked goods for the grocery store and provides lunch for hungry customers. My job, working for a new owner of the business, was to financially analyze different aspects of the business in order to build a ground up business analysis. I started with stock rotation, the ebb and flow of products from acquisition to sale, and quickly moved onto cost analysis of restaurant goods. This then led to budget creation and pricing of new products in order to make sure what was being made and sold turned a respectable profit."
- Alexander E., Bryant University

"Merci beaucoup! J'apprécie beaucoup votre organisation et votre aide immense en trouvant un stage qui marche si bien pour chaque personne--quelle opportunité  pour nous tous!"
- Kelsey P., Grove City College

"Doing an internship is one of the best ways to integrate into a country during a study abroad. Classes can teach you so much, but you must put your learning into practice. What's the point of studying french if outside of classes you only speak english to your friends. Thanks to my internship, I spent a few mornings a week meeting, chatting and joking around with locals. By working in a country (wether paid or unpaid), you seem to learn so much more about its day-to-day life instead of feeling like a tourist for a semester. I am so glad to have done this and recommend it to anyone who studies abroad."
- Clelia F., SUNY New Paltz

"I had an internship with a company called Cyclo Pub - Agence de communication 100% écologique. We are a start-up that creates publicity for tourist events in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. In addition to that, we also offer Segway and Bike tours of both cities. I have been recruiting workers to pass out flyers, conduct our bike and segways tours, and reach out to event organisers in order to obtain more 'missions.' In essence, I have been doing a lot of marketing work, and I have truly enjoyed this  opportunity and have met some really amazing people while working here! At the end of my internship, Cyclo Pub asked me to have a few of my IAU friends come to take a segway tour. They wanted to record video to use to promote the tours on our website. The tour lasted around an hour an a half and was incredibly fun and informative. It was a great way to end my internship!"
- Michael S., Bryant University

Internship Feedback

"Je peux vous dire que Marina a fait un travail remarquable pour le congrès de Grand Rapids.  Sa maturité, son professionalisme, son sens du contact et sa bonne humeur ont été également appréciés par notre partenaire américain local.  Nous aurons plaisir à recollaborer avec Marina ici ou aux USA. Merci pour la qualité des candidatures."
- M Boussard, Genesis Acoustics

Marina R., Grand Valley State University, French Honors Program