Meet Our Summer Interns: Part Two

Each summer, Participate Learning interns work closely with staff to deliver excellent work while gaining confidence in the workplace. Everyone brings their own skills, ideas, and perspectives, which allow them to provide their departments with unique support. Interns are essential parts of Participate Learning’s goal to unite the world through global learning. 

Last week, we introduced some of our current summer interns in a blog post that can be read here. Read on to learn about the rest of our interns and the work they are doing this summer in part two of our introduction series. 

Stephanie Sosa is the graphic design intern this summer in the marketing and design department. She graduated from North Carolina State University in May 2022 with a degree in Graphic Design. Stephanie wanted to intern at Participate Learning because of her interest in global education and language learning. She wanted to learn more about these fields while also utilizing the skills she gained while in school. 

Stephanie’s favorite place she has visited is San Francisco. She visited last fall and was taken aback by how incredible it was. In the future, she would love to travel to Taiwan, with the hope of becoming fluent in Chinese. 

Connor Cain is an intern in the teacher experience department this summer. He is a rising junior at American University, where he is double-majoring in International Studies and Economics. Connor wanted to intern at Participate Learning because of his interest in international education. He also identified with the mission and goals of Participate Learning. The organization’s theme of doing good for the world reflects his personal motivation for going into international development. 

Connor’s favorite thing about working at Participate Learning is how welcome he feels. He appreciates that everyone values his input and creativity, making him feel like an important member of his team. Connor’s trip to southern Africa has been his favorite experience so far because he got to visit five countries and experience environments and cultures that are entirely different from those in the United States. 

Catie Vanschaick is an intern in the marketing department this summer. She is a rising junior at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is majoring in Advertising and Public Relations. Catie wanted to work at Participate Learning because it would allow her to gain experience in the marketing field while also working for a company whose mission she believes is really important. She thinks that teaching children to appreciate and be compassionate toward other cultures is the strongest foundation for working toward a kinder world in the future. 

Catie’s favorite place she has traveled to is Barcelona, Spain, because of the fun and lively culture and the delicious food. 

Graceann Thilman is interning in the teacher resources department this summer. She is a junior at Gettysburg College, where she is double-majoring in Public Policy and Spanish. As a student studying Spanish herself, Graceann initially wanted to work at Participate Learning because she admired the company’s desire to immerse students in bilingual programs. Throughout her time working at Participate Learning, Graceann has met teachers from all over the world, but predominantly from countries in Latin America and South America. Hearing their stories and learning about their cultures has given Graceann a greater understanding of, and desire to continue studying, Spanish. 

Graceann would love to visit Hawaii and spend time exploring the island and culture of the native Hawaiians. When she visits someday, she wants to go on hikes, such as the Haiku Stairs and the Manoa Falls Trail, and go shark diving. 

Sughra Yazdani is an intern in the education programs department this summer. She will be a freshman at George Washington University in the fall, where she is planning on majoring in Business. Sughra wanted to work at Participate Learning because of the multinational environment of the company and the focus on language learning. She also appreciates the opportunities for culture exchange she is able to participate in. 

If Sughra could travel anywhere in the world, she would like to visit the Maldives for its clear, blue water and luxurious beaches. 

Catherine Kunz is an intern in the partnership department this summer. She is a rising sophomore at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is majoring in Public Policy. Catherine wanted to work at Participate Learning because she identified with the values of the company and admired the work that it was doing. 

Catherine’s favorite place she has traveled to so far is France, because of the good food, interesting people, and beautiful architecture. 

Our interns are important parts of the Participate Learning community. They provide support to their departments while bringing fresh ideas and unique perspectives that are invaluable to our work. Read this blog post to learn about how we work to provide meaningful and hands-on experiences to all of our interns. To learn more about future intern positions or our intern-in-training program, visit our careers page.