WASHINGTON, PA (Aug. 30, 2019)—An internship opportunity made possible by Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) gave Chynna Wilcox ’20 the chance to explore outside of her field of study.
The Spanish major and religious studies and sociology minor traveled to a bilingual school in Peru where she interned in an elementary classroom, assisting in teaching English.
“Before this internship, I said, ‘This internship will give me a better understanding of what I want to do in the future,’” Chynna said. “Now that the internship is over, I can say this gave me experience in a different field of study.”
Working with students was a powerful experience for Chynna. She enjoyed getting to be a part of their education, even if it is not something she wants to pursue in the future.
This isn’t the first time Chynna has tested the waters in another field. Last summer, she completed a week-long volunteer medical service program in Costa Rica with the organization Máximo Nivel. The organization connected her to her internship this summer.
“Internship experience gives you hands-on experience in your potential future career,” she said. “The liberal arts education that W&J provides [helped prepare me]. This well-rounded education has helped me to not look at things from just one perspective. It has expanded the capacity of my mind.”
Her experience in Peru was funded by The Franklin Internship Award, made available to students through The Magellan Project.
“This fund gave me an opportunity that could not be found anywhere else. I can’t think of one school that provides students with the funds to complete an independent project or internship abroad,” she said. “The Franklin Magellan Award allowed me to pursue things that I had always hoped to do for a better future. It’s one of the reasons I chose to come to W&J.”
