Tag Archives: Education

Interning at Timeout Foundation by Isabel Gerlach ’28

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Name: Isabel Gerlach
Class Year: 2028
Major: German Studies
Minor: Education Studies

Internship Organization:  Timeout Foundation
Internship Title: Student Intern
Location: Breitnau, Germany

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!

Our newest calf, Freya, and her mama, Frederike, the morning after she was born

This summer I am interning with Timeout Foundation, a youth welfare service, where I am building relationships with and help care for our kids who live with us. We also have animals (cows, goats, sheep, pigs, and alpacas), our barn, pastures, and land that we take care of each day. Much of my time at Timeout is spent working together with the kids on tasks around the farm, from their morning and evening stall tasks for the animals to building fences and cutting grass. I also drop our kids off at and pick them up from classes and sports, accompany them to doctor appointments, and pick up medications, clean laundry, and prepare meals. In our office room I am learning to concisely document each kid’s day and about techniques to navigate emotions and deescalate conflict. My work at Timeout Foundation this summer is completely in German, which has been an amazing opportunity to gain more vocabulary and fluency in my German language skills, while also learning about the culture here in southwest Germany

Why did you apply for this internship?

Lovely view of mountains from the house

I applied for this internship because it felt like the perfect intersection of German and Education studies. I would be able to work with kids ages 10 to 17 and explore the pedagogic systems of Timeout Foundation, while putting my German knowledge to use and challenging myself to further grow my language skills and cultural understandings of Germany. My internship with Timeout Foundation is also hosted by Innovation Academy in Freiburg, which is the organization that hosted students from the Climate Change 360 and that I grew familiar with throughout this past fall semester.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

I have found the farm aspect of my internship quite meaningful. Building strong, trusting relationships with kids is quite difficult in a short amount of time, however working on the farm and accomplishing tasks together has helped our relationships grow stronger. It has also been amazing to see how independent the kids are around the farm and how much knowledge they have about animals, for building items, using tools and machinery and their love and care for animals. I have found the farm tasks most difficult throughout my internship due to all the new vocabulary, but it feels satisfying to accomplish tasks and I learn new vocab each day on the farm. The calves are also so adorable!

Was this internship what you expected it to be?

This summer is Innovation Academy and Timeout Foundation’s first time collaborating to offer an internship opportunity, so I had no clear image of what the internship entailed or how it might go. I think the outcome has been even better than I could have hoped for. The team I work with is absolutely amazing and I am gaining valuable knowledge and ideas from them. I have been learning much about culture, social relationships, and emotional regulation through working with our awesome kids. I also would not have otherwise had the opportunity to hang out with our kids and sweet animals each day with such a beautiful view of the Black forest in the background!

Evan explores the field of librarianship at the Joseph T. Simpson Library 

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Name: Evan Pineo
Class Year:  2028
Majors: Literatures in English, Education Studies
 
Internship Organization:  Joseph T. Simpson Library
Internship Title:   Library Intern
Location:  Mechanicsburg, PA
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

The bag I take to work each day, featuring the Bryn Mawr mascot and my name tag!

This summer, I am interning at Joseph T. Simpson Library under the supervision of Executive Director Lizzy Baldwin Seidel. I have had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects that have given me insight into the many moving parts of a public library. So far, my primary project has been redesigning our children’s multilingual collection to make it more accessible and better reflect the languages spoken in the Mechanicsburg community. I initially became passionate about supporting multilingual learners after taking Kelly Zuckerman’s “Emergent Multilingual Learners in U.S. Schools” course in Fall 2025 at Bryn Mawr. Building on what I learned in that course, I have researched multilingual children’s literature to curate a collection highlighting Somali, Nepali, Arabic, and Spanish. I also redesigned the collection’s signage to improve its visibility and make it easier for non-English-speaking families to locate and use these resources.

Why did you apply for this internship?  

The multilingual children’s collection, with signage including English, Arabic, Nepali, Spanish, and Somali

I applied to be an intern at the library because I have always been interested in becoming a librarian and wanted to gain hands-on experience in a public library. I was excited by the opportunity to explore the field of librarianship and gain skills in collection development, community engagement, and designing library programming for children. I hoped the internship would help me determine whether a career in librarianship was the right path for me, which my internship has confirmed! 

 
Was there anything special about how you found this internship?

Me with the Pennsylvania Library Association Planning Committee for the 2026 PaLA Annual Conference!

My internship with the Simpson Library was entirely co-created by Executive Director Lizzy Baldwin Seidel and me. I reached out to Seidel in March 2026 to ask whether the library would be interested in hosting a summer intern and shared my specific interests in librarianship. Together, we designed an internship that aligned with both my interests and the library’s needs. We decided my internship would ultimately focus on multilingual collection development, children’s programming, community engagement, and learning about how the public library operates. Thanks to the Bryn Mawr Career & Civic Engagement office’s summer funding program, Seidel and I were able to make the internship a reality. 

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect? 

Public librarianship has surprisingly little to do with books. Public librarians wear many hats. While a portion of public librarians’ time is dedicated to curating book collections, they also plan programs, interact with community members, create promotional materials, review and update policies, cultivate donor relationships, act as tech support, and complete a myriad of other tasks to ensure the library remains a welcoming space for all patrons. My internship experience has vastly broadened my understanding of what it means to be a public librarian.  

Stepping Into the Field: My Journey as a Psychology Intern by Jolan Zheng ‘26 

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Name: Jolan Zheng
Class Year: 2026
Major:  Psychology, Education
Minor: Mathematics
 
Internship Organization:  Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital
Internship Title:   Assistant
Location:  Hangzhou, China
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

This summer, I am interning in the psychology department at Zhejiang Province People’s Hospital, where I work closely with clinicians and staff as a psychology intern. Much of my work involves observing therapy sessions, assisting with case discussions, and supporting intake procedures for new patients. I also help with documentation and research-related tasks, which gives me valuable exposure to how psychological theories are applied in real clinical settings. Each day, I am learning how professionals approach patient care with empathy and cultural awareness, while also strengthening my own communication and observation skills. I also had the opportunity to participate at hospital ward rounds with the director of psychology. Through this experience, I learned to listen more attentively, take accurate notes, and analyze cases from both clinical and humanistic perspectives, deepening my appreciation for the balance of professional expertise and empathy in psychology.
 
Why did you apply for this internship?  

I applied for this internship because I wanted to connect my academic background in psychology with real-world clinical experience. I also saw this as an opportunity to explore potential career paths in clinical psychology while contributing meaningfully to patient care.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect? 

One thing I didn’t expect to learn during my internship was how much psychology involves teamwork and communication beyond direct patient care. I assumed most of the work would be individual or between doctor and patient, but I realized that effective treatment relies heavily on collaboration among doctors, nurses, interns, and social workers. I didn’t expect to realize how many different life stories, challenges, and struggles people carry with them. Through this internship, I have met individuals from very diverse backgrounds, each facing unique circumstances that shape their mental health. Some of the cases even involved extreme behaviors that I had never encountered before. This experience has opened my eyes to the complexity of human experiences and reminded me of the importance of approaching each patient with empathy, patience, and an open mind.  

Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience? 

Eye-opening, Challenging, Rewarding 

Growth, Empathy, Patience 

 

 

Summer of Storytelling: Lilah Goldman ‘26

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Name: Lilah Goldman
Class Year: 2026
Major: English, Education 

Internship Organization: Bryn Mawr Summer Humanities Research Program
Internship Title:  Digital Storytelling in Social Work Research Assistant
Location: Bryn Mawr, PA

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

I am working on Dr. Rachel Speer’s Digital Storytelling in Social Work project, which seeks to expand opportunities for self-reflection, professional and personal identity development, and digital media skills development within the implicit social work curriculum. My work each week involves designing and preparing to facilitate a series of workshops for graduate social work students. I have had so much fun creating my own digital stories to use as examples, as well as accessible tip sheets and tutorials for future students. 

Why did you apply for this internship?  

I applied to this internship because as an Education major, I wanted more experience with lesson planning and curriculum design, and I loved that it offered the opportunity to be creative and explore digital storytelling on top of that. Plus, I was excited to get to know and work closely with a new faculty member I wouldn’t have otherwise met, and learn more about graduate education programs. 

Working remotely for the first time? What has that experience been like for you? 

Working remotely for the first time has taught me a lot of self-discipline in establishing routines that separate work from distractions, while still allowing me to take care of myself. Since I don’t necessarily need to leave the house each day for work, I’ve become more intentional about moving my body throughout the day and taking appropriate breaks to explore my new neighborhood and enjoy the summer in Philadelphia. I’ve had a lot of fun finding new coffee shops to work from, but I do look forward to the few work days when I meet with Dr. Speer or other collaborators in person. I have learned that I certainly value working in a collaborative environment, which is why I am eager to help facilitate the workshops I’ve been designing when the fall semester begins.  

What is most rewarding about your internship? 

The most rewarding aspect of my internship has been getting to spend my days creating stories that help me better understand myself and that I can share with others. I have really come to appreciate the creative process that digital storytelling requires, and I love getting to experiment with different media and video editing software while engaging in self-reflection every week. This project has taught me about my values, relationships, and self-perceptions, and has made me feel more comfortable sharing them with others. The cherry on top is that this work will also help graduate students embark on this journey of self-understanding, shaping their professional identities as future social workers. 

Delaney Cairns ’26 Interns with AMADEUS Festival Vienna

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Name: Delaney Cairns
Class Year: 2026
Major: Psychology, Education

Internship Organization: AMADEUS International School Vienna, IES Abroad 

Internship Title:  AMADEUS Music and Arts Academy Intern
Location: Vienna, Austria

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

The Amadeus International School Vienna is a Private PreK-12 school focused on IB curriculum with an integrated Music and Arts Academy (AMAA). I was working in the front office, most specifically with the AMAA administrators, dealing with and helping with the scheduling and planning required to run the academy. I was even able to sit in on some dance and music classes, and it was super interesting to learn about the dance and music education scene in Vienna. Additionally, I was involved in the planning of the Amadeus Festival hosted by the school at the end of each year. During the festival, the other interns and I helped serve the guests and assist with the other logistical needs of the festival as part of the stage crew. We were also tasked with making a performance to open up one of the acts in the festival and we choreographed a dance together! I also was able to incorporate some of my dance interests when I led an Irish dance workshop on the “Family and Fun Day” of the festival. Finally, I moderated one day of the festival, going on stage to introduce the different groups and talk a little bit about their performances. 

Why did you apply for this internship?  

As an education major, I was really interested to see what goes on behind the scenes at a school. Through the Bryn Mawr education department I have had the opportunity to see the inside of many classrooms in Philadelphia schools, but I have never been able to see the behind the scenes of a front office in the way that I was able to at Amadeus. I really enjoyed learning how to look at registration lists, plan out classroom space schedules, and help make certificates. I also have been focusing a lot on arts (most specifically dance) education and the impact it has on students in my studies at Bryn Mawr, and wanted to see how it was being incorporated into this school. I was also interested in seeing how a school/workplace functions in a different country such as Austria in order to explore how it differed from my experience in US schools. 

Was there anything special about how you found this internship? 

I was a part of a group of Bryn Mawr students who got the opportunity to be a part of the IES Vienna Internship program for the summer. This gave me the opportunity to meet so many other people from different schools across the country and hear all about the work they were doing at their internships and how it related to their studies. 

What has been your favorite part of this internship? 

My favorite part of my experience at this internship was being able to get so close with the other interns at Amadeus. I really learned how to work well with a team and we all learned how to advocate for ourselves and each other. It was so nice to have a group that supported each other with any help we needed every day. We also all learned how to communicate effectively with one another and our supervisors in a workplace environment (in another country!). 

Ocean Carter ’28 Interns at Disability Rights New Jersey 

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Name: Oceana Carter
Class Year: 2028
Major: Sociology
Minor: Education
 
Internship Organization: Disability Rights New Jersey
Internship Title:  Communications and Outreach Intern
Location: Trenton, NJ 

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

I’m lucky enough to be doing a little bit of everything at my internship! Most of my work has involved helping design a funding campaign for Protection and Advocacy organizations like DRNJ across the country, but supervisors have given me a chance to experience every aspect of DRNJ’s work! So far, I’ve also gotten to accompany our investigation and monitoring team on visits to residential centers for adults with intellectual and developmental disorders (IDDs) to learn about their experiences and investigate allegations of abuse, and I’ve been learning about accessible technology and design from the technology team. 

Why did you apply for this internship?  

While looking for summer internships, I knew I wanted something in disability activism, because I’ve loved being part of the Students for Disability Justice SGA Committee at Bryn Mawr. I wanted to return to school in the fall with more knowledge of how to make our civil rights and how to make spaces more accessible, as well as a better understanding of what a future career in disability advocacy could look like for me. 

Working with DRNJ in particular has been great for me, because they are a governmental organization that does everything from litigation and campaigning for disability rights on capitol hill, to investigating residential health and wellness facilities to prevent abuse. I entered this internship wanting to understand what a career in disability rights law could look like, and it has taught me that there are countless ways to contribute to the cause. 

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you? 

From taking actual courses offered to DRNJ employees to learning from experience working in an incredibly accessible office with a variety of (dis)abilities represented, I’ve gained a lot of knowledge about how to ensure both online and physical spaces are accessible, and developed skills like website auditing for accessibility, which has unexpectedly taught me coding skills too. This experience was exactly what I hoped to gain over the summer. I’m excited to bring this knowledge back to my leadership roles on campus and anywhere else I go! My time at DRNJ has also helped widen my focus within disability issues. Because my personal experience and knowledge have been more centered in chronic illness and physical disability spaces, I’ve loved working with people who are so educated on subjects I know less about, like IDDs and the issues that face elderly patients in particular. This internship definitely opened my eyes to how much I have to learn about the experiences of people with IDDs, and I can’t imagine a better place to begin that journey! 

Personally, professionally, and academically, the policy and campaign work that I’ve been doing has probably had the largest impact on me. Contributing to a campaign to stop government funding cuts to advocacy organizations has taught me so much about communication, tenacity, budgeting, data analysis, and most of all, strategy. Communicating with politicians is definitely a different skillset than what I’m used to, so I’m grateful to be learning such an empowering skill! 

What is most rewarding about your internship? 

It’s incredible to see the numbers and statistics of the hundreds of thousands of people who have been positively impacted by DRNJ’s work, but it’s even better to experience the impact that this work can have firsthand. One of my favorite parts of my experience has been visiting residential centers around New Jersey and getting to see the decades-old friendships that have formed between DRNJ staff and residents. Seeing how a room full of residents would light up when they saw that we were visiting was really inspiring.