As I was searching for an internship in Chicago, I had no idea I would end up working in Honduras. 

After applying to a few local internships and not hearing back, I decided to take a break. I went home to Texas for the holidays and decided to try again in the fall. Shortly after New Year’s Eve, I heard back from an organization I was thinking about visiting in the summer, and they informed me that they could use an intern this spring. So, I moved all my classes to asynchronous and moved to Honduras at the end of January. 

Amada is a nonprofit organization in Siguatepeque, Honduras, that empowers women and children in severe poverty by providing them with an education, skills classes, and career planning. As the Communications Intern for Amada, I am interviewing all the staff, students, and women that Amada works with so that I can later publish their stories online. I’ve been conducting these interviews for two weeks now, and I have already learned so much. I haven’t practiced my Spanish since high school, so I have been using a translator during the interviews. Using a translator has greatly strengthened my interview skills because it forces me to be hyperaware of the interviewee’s body language, facial expressions, and tone. Studying these reactions allows me to gauge the responses and then alter my questions or ask follow-up questions to provide more understanding.

I love working on this project because I am passionate about empowerment and advocacy. Writing down each person’s story is inspiring but also a big responsibility. The words I choose determine how other people will view these stories, making my job very important. Even though it comes with a lot of pressure, I enjoy doing important work because it pushes me to always work my hardest. I will use this project and internship in my portfolio because it showcases several of my skills, such as my writing and experience with intercultural communication. Moving to Honduras will also show my commitment to journalism and my passion for sharing stories.