Winter Term Internships Can Make a World of Difference
The Center for Careers and Internships was delighted to learn that the bond between a former Middlebury student and his Winter Term internship supervisor brought them together again across years, miles, cultures, and a shared love of music. Mike Nunziante ’19 and award-winning pianist and humanitarian, Mahani Teave, reunited at her October concert in the Mahaney Arts Center.
Mahani, a remarkable musician and co-founder of Toki School of Music and the Arts on Rapa Nui, hosted Mike as a Winter Term intern in 2018 where he taught music lessons, immersed himself in the local culture, and learned about environmentally sustainable practices. Mike’s for-credit internship experience, which was sandwiched between his two semesters abroad in Chile, made a lasting impression on both Mike and the community he served.
Mahani, alongside other Rapa Nui community leaders, co-founded Toki as a multifaceted initiative to support the island. Its first and signature program is Toki School of Music and the Arts, a youth music program that combines classical training and Polynesian tradition to provide a rich creative arts and cultural education for its students. Toki is located on Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, a remote island located more than 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile. The island is famous for its iconic moai statues, and more recently for Mahani Teave. Mahani, a native of Rapa Nui, faced some challenges while growing up on the island. While music was a huge part of her culture and upbringing, her budding passion for classical music was limited to brief exposures from visiting teachers.
Mahani’s love of music coupled with limited musical resources, led her to leave her island home at a young age to pursue classical piano training, initially at a Chilean music conservatory, and later in Cleveland and Berlin. She eventually made her mark on the international concert stage. However, Mahani’s commitment to her roots led her to return home and establish Toki School of Music and the Arts to bring music education to the children of Rapa Nui. Toki is also preserving the island’s strong but threatened indigenous cultural heritage. Rapa Nui has been considered by UNESCO as a world language in danger, almost becoming extinct some time ago. Toki students sing and learn about generational traditions in their native Rapa Nui language, empowering the island’s youth to help revitalize their ancestral tongue.
The school’s mission is to empower the island’s population by using music and environmental education as tools to preserve and revitalize their cultural heritage. Facing the devastating problem of international trash contaminating the island’s coastline, community leaders decided to build Toki’s campus as an Earthship. They used a design approach developed by California architect Michael Reynolds which incorporates recycled trash materials, solar panels, and other sustainable practices in the structure’s construction. Led by Reynolds and Rapa Nui engineers, volunteers from around the world arrived on the island to help with the build. Mahani and her colleagues at Toki are passionate about ensuring that the island’s unique cultural identity is preserved and that children have access to music lessons and learn about sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.
Enter Mike Nunziante. During his Winter Term internship in January, 2018, supported by the Center for Careers and Internships, Mike designed a six-week pilot summer program that centered instrument and songwriting lessons with the island’s youth. This program aimed to provide a constructive and fun educational atmosphere during the summer, filling a gap for the island’s youth.
Mike, an International and Global Studies major focused on Latin America, saw this internship as an opportunity to apply his academic passions and studies to a real-world, growing NGO. He was intrigued by the island’s unique geopolitical relationship with continental Chile, as well as its efforts to maintain its traditional roots. He also had prior experience designing music workshops for children in under-resourced communities and recognized the potential of adding an environmental sustainability component to his work.
Some of Mike’s learning objectives during his internship included understanding Toki’s model of combining music education and environmental sustainability to preserve cultural identity, designing creative and constructive music curricula for the children, and gaining insights into the island’s relationship with continental Chile.
In expressing his gratitude to the alumni donor who generously supported his internship, Mike shared compelling stories about his role as the sole guitar teacher and his experience preparing students for cultural performances. Mike acknowledged the donor’s commitment to fostering positive global impact through supporting Middlebury students like himself. For students seeking similar impactful opportunities, Winter Term internships for credit allow students to connect personal and academic interests with liberal arts learning in immersive experiences.
Mike has returned to the island twice since his first visit in 2018, continuing his work with guitar and theory students, recording and performing with artists in the island’s thriving music scene, and supporting Toki’s community outreach efforts with local schools and venues. He also offered virtual instruction alongside volunteers from the Global Leaders program during the 2020 pandemic lockdown in the form of video instrument and theory lessons.
Reflecting on his experience on the island, Mike shares: “Toki has totally uplifted me in my growth as a musician, as an educator, and as a story-seeker and teller. I am extremely grateful for my connections in Rapa Nui, which have transcended time and distance.”
On reuniting with Mahani at Middlebury, he adds: “Middlebury helped me get to the island in the first place, so seeing Mahani performing in Robison Hall — where I also performed as a music student — was completely surreal. It was a beautiful, full-circle moment.”
The reunion between Mike and Mahani serves as a reminder of the meaningful connections and transformative experiences that Winter Term internships can provide. These opportunities, coupled with the guidance of mentors like Mahani Teave, equip Middlebury students with the practical skills needed to develop their career, and the inspiration to become involved in meaningful work. As you explore Winter Term internships, consider the potential for leaving your mark on a community and gaining hands-on experience that extends far beyond the classroom.
To learn more about Toki School of Music and the Arts, visit these links:
WEBSITE — https://tokirapanui.org/en/school-of-music.html
INSTAGRAM — https://www.instagram.com/toki.rapanui/