Internship Spotlight: Luca de la Guardia, Safe Space

Luca de la Guardia '24 BSBA (Management Information Systems) was a Global Intern at Safe Space in Singapore.

If you worked on a big project during your internship, please describe what you did to help.
Instead of the typical “project” that an intern would receive working for a large corporation, my role in the company was to help the company grow. After my first week of on-boarding and introduction, I was immediately integrated into my company’s operations. Within my role as a sales operations intern, I became a liaison for several of Safe Space’s corporate clients and facilitated Safe Space’s mental health webinars, which is part of the educational aspect that this company offers in terms of mental health solutions. I felt that I was integrated into my company and felt that I was doing work as if I were an employee compared to a typical intern at a large firm who is given tasks that have little to no impact.

What did you find most challenging about your internship?
My greatest challenge initially was to hurdle the language barrier. Although everyone in Singapore speaks English, they use words that are not commonly used in the American vernacular. I also found myself struggling to manage my time out of work. My internship is obviously the priority, but I wanted to take advantage of my opportunity to explore this part of the world. My appetite for adventure got so strong that it began sacrificing necessary rest and sleep to explore and roam the country. This eventually began to impact my work. I found myself less efficient and spending extra time on tasks. Another challenge that I encountered my entire trip was working for the startup itself. Startup companies are not as systematic and organized as a medium to large corporate company, so at Safe Space I found a lot of tasks and processes to be manual, and collaboration between departments to be unorganized. However, this is an aspect that made my internship great! It provided my coworkers and me with challenges to overcome in order to improve and grow the company.

What advice do you have for other students that are also considering interning abroad?
When it comes to traveling abroad through the school, interning abroad is more beneficial than studying abroad (taking classes). This has been an unforgettable experience and I have zero regrets coming to Singapore. For a business student, I think it was way more beneficial to have a working experience than a studying experience abroad. Instead of being in the bubble of the university, you are forced to fit into culture of the country, which is the entire point! I personally have bonded and gained so much knowledge from my coworkers which led to experiences that I would never find alone. I’d also like to tell other students not to overlook abroad opportunities in Asia. I’ve know that Western Europe is the most popular destination, but I wholeheartedly advocate for an experience in Asia because I think students would gain more perspective out here than in Western Europe. The idea of coming to the other side of the world is scary. I certainly was scared at first, but whenever something seems too daunting, I always tell myself, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” and every time I return with zero regrets.

How did Eller (or your previous coursework) prepare you for your internship?

Eller prepared me by providing me with a foundation in business knowledge. Through a combination Eller classes and clubs, such as ELITE and ALPFA, I gained critical skills and learned to work as a team under pressure which has allowed me to dive into the world of business on an international level. I was provided with many hard and soft skills, but most importantly I was taught how to learn these skills and be adaptive in any setting. One class that specifically has helped me throughout the course of my internship is business communication. There I learned proper business writing and etiquette, and the coursework from that class has helped me maintain a proper, professional appearance in cultural landscape where professionalism matters most. Nowadays, almost all communication between business and consumer is virtual, so I’m either sending out dozens of emails a day or hopping on a virtual call. Looking back, I am thankful for Eller.