Past Internships

HiGo Education Consulting

Ellie Thompson (Spring 2021, Middlebury College, Beijing [Virtual])

    The Chinese Schools Abroad internship with the HaiGao (海高) Education Consulting firm is a great opportunity to apply your Chinese language skills in the business world. As a student intern, you will have the opportunity to conduct research on the pathway to American university/colleges for international students, provided copy-editing expertise for students a part of HaiGao for projects that they plan to help supplement their college resumes, and create curriculum to increase the level of their interpersonal communication skills. Overall, student interns will work closely with an advisor from HaiGao and gain more professional Chinese language skills.

HiGo Education Consulting

Ella Kim (Winter 2021, Middlebury College, Beijing [Virtual])

    I researched and wrote several essays on topics such as liberal arts colleges and education, the details of my very own major, International and Global Studies, and proposals for college application readiness. I would write versions of each essay in both English and Chinese.  After compiling information on liberal arts education, I gave a lecture to a WeChat group. I think it may have been the longest presentation I have given to date, at around 40 minutes. I also aided editing college application essays, providing feedback as necessary.

    I had almost daily contact with my supervisors, either in a group chat or in a one-on-one chat with my main supervisor…[who] would first relay my tasks of either the day or the week to me in Chinese, and then clarify in English as needed, in order to make sure I understood all of my responsibilities.

    I learned that I don’t mind this type of research and report writing, …and can see myself seeking a job in the future that will require me to do a lot of writing. This internship unexpectedly made me research different career paths related to my major, and in that way, I had plenty of time to do some introspective thinking about what my future will look like after graduation.

Ullens Center for Contemporary Art

Paige Alexander (Franklin & Marshall College, Beijing)

As an intern for UCCA, I had the opportunity to work alongside their English Editor. I helped translate the art pieces’ description labels from Chinese to English, which UCCA uses when displaying new art shows. This translation required an understanding of the art work, as well as proficiency in both Chinese and English. I also helped write English audio guides, which serve to explain the artist’s interests, their history with UCCA, as well as the story behind their artworks. Writing these audio guides gave me the chance to study Picasso. His personal life, as well as his world-renowned works, finding the most significant moments in order to bring the artist to life.

     Finally, I helped manage UCCA’s official Instagram account, which included finding photos, creating captions, and utilizing both of these as a cohesive marketing strategy on Instagram. In addition to managing the Instagram, I also wrote a “Guide to Instagram,” which outlines the basics of how to use Instagram, as well as potential marketing strategies, which all future UCCA staff members will have access to.

Study Abroad 360

Hayley Bogomolny (Ohio State University, Kunming)

When I was a student on the Middlebury Schools in China program in Kunming, I had an internship at Study Abroad 360, an educational company that helps Chinese students who plan to study abroad. This internship was one of the most rewarding parts of my experience in China. Thanks to my eleven enthusiastic and incredibly patient coworkers, my Chinese improved immensely, and I now have a deeper understanding of the study abroad planning process as well as how successful businesses operate in China.

    At Study Abroad 360, my main responsibility was helping Chinese high school students apply to colleges abroad. I helped them translate and write their personal statements, edit their application materials, and prepare for English language exams. I also gave two presentations for groups of 80-100 students about college life in the U.S. Through these experiences, I was able to learn about the Chinese education system, strengthen my translation skills, improve my writing ability in both English and Chinese, and become more comfortable with public speaking. After studying Chinese for 9 years and spending one semester on the Middlebury program, I was excited to be able to use Chinese in a professional setting and gain valuable work experience that I feel my year abroad would have been incomplete without.

Modern City Community Center

Travis Sanderson (Middlebury College, Hangzhou)

My internship at the Modern City Community Center was largely an experience in becoming connected with the local community. The MIC program cannot connect us fully with the grassroots, but my internship gave me precisely that opportunity. In between teaching classes, I acquired the opportunities to chat with Hangzhou locals who lived in the neighborhood. Modern City contributed to my understanding of local conditions and Hangzhou life, as experienced by real people. Modern City is a grassroots branch of the Chinese government. Beyond grassroots connections, I also had the opportunity to learn about waste disposal techniques and political governance at the lowest government department level.

West Lake Museum

Emily Cipriani (Middlebury College, Hangzhou)

My internship at the West Lake Museum composed of two elements: working at the museum’s front desk and office work, typically two hours each per day. At the front desk, the museum curator assigned a docent to act as my “professor”, who essentially taught me a one on one class about the geography, geology, and cultural history of the lake (typically an hour to an hour and a half each day). As I became more familiar with the content of the museum, I began to serve as a bilingual volunteer docent for Chinese and international museum guests. For the office portion of the internship, I was assigned a desk in the museum’s exhibition department alongside employees responsible for designing the layout of the museum, organizing educational events, and producing supplementary materials such as videos and pamphlets. In the office, I edited/rewrote the museum’s audio recording translations. At the end of the year I recorded this material for the museum. Spare time at the front desk and office (about half an hour per day) was spent on independent study. The internship was valuable for learning about museum management, office culture, and of course, for learning about the history of Hangzhou.

Cryptocurrency Startup

Subin Cho (Middlebury College, Beijing)

I partook in a credit-bearing internship expecting to acquaint myself with Chinese business environment. With the help of the alumni network in Beijing, I worked at a cryptocurrency company as a product management intern. Director Zhang Kai was responsible and thoughtful, writing to me before the program started to ask about my preferences in detail. During the period of internship, Mr. Zhang and I had weekly check-in session to discuss the internship’s progress. He approached issues with helpful guidance and offered chances to be reflective and gain insights by myself. The School in Beijing deeply catered and helped me integrating my future career interest with my language learning. I was able to improve my facility with business Chinese, and to network with professionals based in China in a rising industry. The school embodied the spirit of “guided independence”, and I was lucky to have a productive and meaningful internship experience in China.

China Philanthropy Research Institute

Lulu Zhou (Middlebury College, Beijing)

I interned at China Philanthropy Research Institute, which is China’s first think-tank dedicated to supporting the NGO/philanthropy sector through research, policy, dcx outreach, and training. At its law research division, I conducted bilingual research and translation related to China’s NGO governance and development.

My supervisor was very supportive and let me be involved with diverse projects. For example, as the 2017 Overseas NGO Law was a core part of my research internship, I created an impact analysis, a presentation, and a conference framework related to this law. I also edited/translated several interviews with international NGOs about their experiences and policy recommendations regarding the Law. Another project was an in-depth comparative study on how China, India, Russia, and the U.S. regulate overseas NGOs. For an international civil society capacity building project, I contributed to the grant proposal by doing extensive background research and producing a feasibility study framework. I continued the internship even after the semester ended as I was assigned to translate the Law’s first year implementation analysis report (10k words). Broadly, the internship was intellectually stimulating, giving me a front seat view of China’s NGO governance and development. I am very grateful to my supervisor who helped me throughout this interesting internship, which allowed me to improve my language skills, meet diverse individuals, and learn about the professional sides of China.