| by Julia Tucker

In the News, News Stories

Jiakai Deng (IPD '25) is completing an internship at UNICEF in New York City this fall.
Jiakai Deng (IPD ‘25) is completing an internship at UNICEF in New York City this fall. 

This fall, Middlebury Institute students are completing experiential learning courses, practicum courses, and research theses all over the country and globe. They are conducting research and completing projects varying from comparative studies of AI models’ academic research capabilities to ensuring women farmers’ empowerment in Nepali agriculture. Whether conducting independent research or working with external organizations, MIIS students are gaining hands-on experience while contributing actively to their fields.

The courses and research projects listed below offer students practical, experiential learning opportunities that bridge their academic studies with their professional interests. 

Martin Gapultos (IPD '24)(left) is completing an internship with UNICEF's Education Programme Group Management, Advocacy, and Partnerships Team in New York City.
Martin Gapultos (IPD ‘24)(left) is completing an internship with UNICEF’s Education Programme Group Management, Advocacy, and Partnerships Team in New York City.  

International Policy and Development, Public Administration, and International Trade Practicum

Students from our International Policy and Development (IPD), Public Administration (MPA), and International Trade (ITED) programs have the opportunity to participate in meaningful experiences tailored to their professional goals. Students may choose to undertake a work project within an organization where they are employed or interning, collaborate on a client project with a partner organization, or engage in independent academic research that can be published in an academic journal or self- published via Middlebury’s digital platforms.

Below is a list of current student participants with their work location and organization.

Name  Organization Location

Sally K. Ahmed

UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office

Nairobi, Kenya (remote)

Hang Yu

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 

Rome, Italy

Jing (Sijing) Lyu

UNICEF

New York, NY

Xinyue Wen

Harvard Spatial Data Lab

Boston, MA

Xuechun Du

UNICEF

Geneva, Switzerland

Jingyuan Yin

FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

Yerevan, Armenia

Jiakai Deng

UNICEF

New York, NY

Luya Jiang

US Tiger Securities, Inc.

New York, NY

Yongyi Cao

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization

Paris, France

Joey Hebl

UNICEF LACRO

Panama City, Panama

Edgar Leon

UNICEF

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Roo Luo Fund for Peace Washington, D.C.
Ambika Rai Independent Research: Child-Friendly Local Governance in Nepal (CFLG) Remote
Carolyn Meyers UNICEF New York, NY
Sarah Slade MEarth Carmel, CA
Qiqi Chen UNICEF Cape Town, South Africa
Zixiang Zhang UNICEF Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Diego Olivieri Independent Research Virginia
Jefferson Stamp Independent Research in Partnership with Montenegro’s Special State Prosecutor’s Office Monterey, CA
Sam Kostopulos Hudson Institute China Center Washington, D.C.
Ryan Hayes Independent Research: Education Initiative Monterey, CA
Marissa Gonzalez FAO Nepal Kathmandu, Nepal
Martin Gapultos UNICEF Ney York, NY
Kris Rose Independent Research Monterey, CA
Rachel Chung American Institute in Taiwan, U.S. Foreign Commercial Section Taipei, Taiwan
Kerra Blotz UNICEF Monrovia, Liberia
Zhengyi Li UNICEF New York, NY
Jingwen Wang UNICEF Geneva, Switzerland
Andrew Sang Independent Research New York, NY
Anvar Nizamov UNICEF Monterey, CA (Remote)
Yongyi Cao at the UNESCO offices in Paris, France.
Yongyi Cao (IPD ‘25) is completing her practicum at the UNESCO offices in Paris, France.

MPA in Sustainability Practicum

MPA in Sustainability Practicum students are leading initiatives for schools, nonprofits, and businesses to advance environmentally sustainable solutions. They develop skills in sustainability and climate science, policy and social justice, sustainability assessment and disclosure, and sustainability strategy and action through real-world projects.

Below is a list of current participants, along with their organizations and locations.

Name  Organization Location

Omari Hines

Southern California Edison

Remote

Daniel Lesser

Power Options, Inc.

Boston, MA

Adrienne Mushiya Kalan

Saint Thomas Moore Catholic School

Decatur, GA

Professional Service Semester

The Professional Service Semester (PSS) is an experience designed for students in the Environmental Policy and Management and Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies  programs to perform hands-on work with an external organization in their fields of interest. 

Below is a list of current student participants with their work location and organization.

Name (Program) Organization Location

Maxwell Patterson (NPTS)

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, Weapons of Mass Destruction Branch

New York, NY

Logan Jenson (NPTS)

Independent Research

San Francisco, CA

International Education Management and Joint Public Administration/International Education Management Practicum

The practicum of the International Education Management (IEM) program is a critical opportunity for students to combine their academic knowledge with experience in the field managing international education programs. IEM students are working across the world with study abroad programs, language immersion programs, and other university programs.

Below is a list of current student participants with their work location and organization.

Name (Program) Organization Location

Nicolas Paneto

Middlebury C.V. Starr Schools Abroad in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Samantha Quintell-Lenzi

Middlebury Institute of International Studies

Monterey, CA

Emma Cooper Middlebury School Abroad Spain Madrid, Spain
Sydney Low Middlebury School in Japan Tokyo, Japan
Bridgett Figueroa Immerse Remote
Lydia Johnson Howard University, Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center Remote
Lauren Gress Kitakamakura Girls School Kanagawa, Japan
Carolyn Meyers (MPA '25) poses outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York. She is completing an internship with the UNICEF Social Policy Section this fall.
Carolyn Meyers (MPA ‘25) poses outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York. She is completing an internship with the UNICEF Social Policy Section this fall. 

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and Teaching Foreign Language Practicum 

Our students in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Teaching Foreign Language (TFL) programs are gaining experience with students and educators in real classroom settings, while participating in reflective practice and progressing their professional development.

Below is a list of current participants for both programs with their organizations and locations.

Name  Organization Location

Abigail Rogers (TESOL)

Middlebury Institute of International Studies

California State University Monterey Bay

Monterey Peninsula Community College 

Monterey, CA

Loraine Ruiz Vera (TFL Spanish)

Middlebury Institute of International Studies

Monterey, CA

Aaron Tsai (TFL Chinese) Middlebury Institute of International Studies Monterey, CA
Michael Zhao (TFL Chinese) Middlebury Institute of International Studies Monterey, CA
Zhengyi Li at UNICEF offices in New York.
Zhengyi Li (IPD ‘25) is completing a practicum internship at UNICEF in New York this fall. 

Translation and Localization Management Practicum

The Translation and Localization Management (TLM) program practicum is designed for students to gain practical experience by  designing and completing their own localization-related research projects, participating in an internship at international companies, or working for a nonprofit organization such as Women in Localization. Some students are also given the opportunity to mentor first-year TILM students. The projects and internships all have a learning component, and students are expected to share their experiences with each other to foster knowledge sharing. The work is typically completed remotely. 

Name  Organizations

James Troyer

TLM Mentorship Program

Jessie Xiang

CampLoc Conference, Globe Multilingual Services

Anson Jia

Translation Commons, CampLoc Conference, Globe Multilingual Services

Shang Li

Translation Commons, Translation for Elders, ROAR Podcast

Robbye Raisher

GlobalSaké, LocLearn Professional Development Training

Nicky Yu

CROSSPACE

Seong Eun (Joy) Lee

LingoLeap Inc., 2025 Migration Project

Cathy Cao Translation Commons, TLM Mentorship Program, Women in Localization
Sayana Maraktaeva Translation Commons, ROAR Podcast
Stan Huang CROSSPACE
Rebekah Salazar American Red Cross
Isabel Wang Dragonbaby, Globe Multilingual Services
Leo Dai ROAR Podcast
Ethan Wu Translation Commons, Globe Multilingual Services
Bella Yang ROAR Podcast
Mercury Li Globe Multilingual Services
Simon Leach Globe Multilingual Services
Gabriela Unguez Translation Commons
Allie Frankel Middlebury School in Cameroon, Globe Multilingual Services, ROAR Podcast
Jocelyn Shen W3C
Coraline Yang, Judy Dong, and Victoria Shimkus Therabody
Fenshi Xu, Anqi Tong, and Océane Cui Net app
Peng Chen, James Kuba, and Marley Uyemura Okta
Alan Ding, Eva Zhuo, and Julena Wuer NATIONS Translation Group
Jonathan Myers, Jinxing Chen, Yanlin Chen, and Julia Zhu GitLab
Adrian Delgado Martinez, Ella Barton, Ruiyi Zhang Adobe
Practicum students at UNICEF offices in New York.
Practicum students at UNICEF offices in New York.
Marissa Gonzalez is completing an internship with the FAO in Nepal this fall.
Marissa Gonzalez (IPD ‘25) is working with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization in Nepal this fall. 

For More Information

Experiential Learning

experientiallearning@middlebury.edu