Internship Spotlight: Mary Henry, Healing Untold Grief Groups (HUGG)

Mary Henry '23 BSBA (Marketing) was a Global Intern at Healing Untold Grief Groups (HUGG) in Dublin, Ireland.

If you worked on a big project during your internship, please describe what you did to help. 
For my internship, I assisted in putting together a digital fundraising pack for the organization I was interning at. As part of my responsibilities, I wrote most of the text for the digital fundraising pack using the information provided to me along with the rough outline for the pack. Next, I put together a few sample digital fundraising packs using Photoshop and Canva. When my supervisor decided that she wanted to have the pack designed by a professional graphic designer, I was the one who went out searching for a graphic designer, reaching out to graphic designers to get quotes and to see which ones would be the best fit for the job. Finally, I was the one who chose the graphic designer and got in touch with them about the project; I also got to see the draft of the pack and give it the once over.    

What did you find most challenging about your internship?
I would have to say that the most challenging thing about my internship would have to be managing my time and maximizing my productivity. The reason for this is because my internship is remote, I don’t really have a set schedule (technically, my hours are 9 am to 5 pm) outside of a weekly meeting with my supervisor. Because of this, I have a lot of flexibility when it comes to my weekly schedule, so I have to make sure I’m working as much as I can and not just slacking off during the day. I also have to try and come up with a balance that allows me to take advantage of my time in Dublin while also making sure that I’m meeting all of my responsibilities.

What advice do you have for other students that are also considering interning abroad?
When you’re abroad, take full advantage of everything that the country has to offer. Go sightseeing, try the restaurants, and don’t be afraid to try new things. Try and find a healthy balance between work and life – make sure you’re doing everything expected of you during your internship, but also make sure to set some time aside to explore the city you’re living in and try new things. I would also advise getting to know the other students that are interning abroad, but also take some time for yourself as well.

How did Eller (or your previous coursework) prepare you for your internship? 
I feel as though a lot of my previous experiences in Eller and at the University of Arizona as a whole have really helped me prepare for my internship. During my freshman year, I took a course on intercultural communication, which really helped me navigate the culture here in Ireland; a course I took my junior year discussing marketing in different countries also came in handy during my internship. Also being in Eller, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to work with and get to know people from different backgrounds, which has also come in handy during my internship when it comes to getting to know the other students in the program as well as the other people working at the organization that I am interning at. I also feel as though doing online classes during my first semester in Eller also helped me to prepare for my internship – by learning how to manage my time and navigate online classes, I was able to develop an understanding of how to handle working remotely; I was then able to apply what I learned when I found that my internship would be remote.