Posts

One Week In As a London CIEE Intern

/in /by

By Leah Gabriella Cardenas

After at least 10 hours of travel and being in an airport, about 60 college students from across the United States arrived in London where for the next eight weeks they would be living and working. Some had been to the United Kingdom before while for many, this was their first time. Either way, it would be quite the adjustment with navigating the Tube to work everyday or simply learning how to start the washing machine.

Spread out across five different living accommodations in Central and South London, communicating on WhatsApp and using Citymapper to get around quickly became the norm for the interns. The CIEE center in Russell Square was then their home base for weekly classes and events.

Melissa Nowacki in Notting Hill.

After just a week of London living, interns’ experiences and expectations going forward varied. “I’ve never really left the United States, so I’m excited to see the different cultures and all the tourist parts,” said Melissa Nowacki, a business law major at Arizona State University.

Nowacki is working with The Death Penalty Project as their communications intern. “Even things like spelling, I’ve struggled with here,” said Nowacki. “I’m typing things and sending them out at work and I don’t even think about how there are differences in something like a ‘z’ to an ‘s’ or double letters.”

Though faced with challenges, many students felt welcomed. Jaymi Robinson, a strategic communications major at Howard University in Washington D.C., is interning with Cavendish Consulting. “Everyone in the office is very friendly and also just understanding of the position of an intern who comes from America. They know we might feel a little disoriented and they want to help you,” said Robinson.

Jaymi Robinson in Kensington Gardens.

In addition to making workplace and cultural adjustments, having all new flatmates and classmates was difficult in itself. “I’ve been doing a lot of introspection, like thinking about my personality and hoping that how I’m being perceived by all these new people is good,” said Robinson. “And I haven’t felt that way since freshman year of college.”

Still, the interns quickly formed close groups to get dinner together after work or do some sightseeing on the weekends. “The first week was probably the most social week of my life, we were just out every night either at a pub to watch a [World Cup] game or just exploring like when we went to Primrose Hill,” said Brayden Brafford, a computer science student at Purdue University.

Going forward, some have even greater plans for their time in London. “I want to go to Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Ireland. I also want to see shows like I’m seeing Phantom of the Opera and I want to see The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm,” said Brafford. “There’s just so much to do in the city.” 

The CIEE building in Russel Square.

Though some interns are used to living thousands of miles away from home or others have visited London before, working in a different country posed an entirely new challenge. From having an hour and a half commute to handling a heatwave without AC, the next few weeks will test the CIEE interns as they navigate being abroad. Still, most expect their time in London to be a unique and influential experience.

The Summer I Left My Heart in London

/in /by

By: Natalie Kreider

One could only imagine all the things that could happen living in London for three months. There were times that I approached with wonder and curiosity, while there were those where I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t want to go home. However, those moments forever changed me, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

To quote Jake Keller, Paddington Art’s intern before me, “London broke my bank account…” I knew that was going to happen, but not in the first month and a half. To be honest, I got caught up in the shopping and going out to London’s pubs with my new friends. It was easy to forget that I was an international student on a visa, living in one of the world’s most expensive cities without permission to receive public funding. Then, reality hit. For a moment, I just wanted to go home to leave the discomfort behind. But I wasn’t going to let that define the rest of my time here, so I decided I needed to get creative and make the best of the situation. I cooked more of my meals, spent my days in awe of the free art museums, and wandered through Hyde Park in my new clothes — small things that brought me joy. 

I’ve always been drawn to roles that support and uplift others, which is why I believe I was led to Paddington Arts—a not-for-profit that embodies those values and has made it its mission to empower youth through the arts. My role there was to write and post content for their blog, where I was given visionary freedom. That said, I had only ever written within a scholarly context, so this was a creative challenge. Initially, I was going to approach my articles by combining a journalistic and academic tone. That was more challenging than I anticipated, so I changed course and started writing about my interests, my reflections, and what was on my mind. These articles soon became another archive for my last six weeks here in London.

Looking back, my summer in London was far from perfect, but that’s what I needed. This was my first time living by myself and for myself. My mom told me that I wouldn’t be the same person when I came back home, and I know she’ll be right. Through every high, low, and quiet in-between, I’ve evolved more into who I’m meant to be. From navigating financial realities to finding my creative voice at Paddington Arts, each challenge shaped the experience into something I’ll carry with me long after leaving. And with that, London will always have a special place in my heart. 

Reflecting on My Internship Experience

/0 Comments/in /by

By George Clyde

My experience with Paddington Arts has been brief but filled with learning experiences across the board. I went into my abroad program in London with the intention of getting a chance to try my hand at journalism for the first time outside of a school setting. As it turned out, my placement couldn’t have been more perfect. The staff at Paddington Arts welcomed me in and guided me towards stories as well as providing me with the equipment I needed. 

One of the struggles for me with journalism has always been inserting myself into situations that are unfamiliar to myself and I think that’s where I’ve had the most growth. My first project with Paddington Arts was never published, but it was still a good experience. I was tasked to go out and take photographs of people and shops on Harrow Road. I felt uncomfortable at first pulling out my camera in front of people. I didn’t know any of the unspoken social rules in this country, and so I felt like I didn’t know who would be offended and when. The more I took photos though, the more I realized how little people cared. 

In my second assignment I was once again thrown into unfamiliar territory. Steve dropped me off at Grand Junction, where a folk performance was happening that night. With my camera in hand and a few broad questions ready, I really had no plan. Once again though, I just started asking around and taking pictures of whatever I wanted to take pictures of. The headliner, Frankie Archer, was happy to talk to me, and I even set up another interview with the artist before her.

In Journalism, you’re always working outside of the routine. Any good piece is going to have something unique to say, and you don’t have unique things to say if you don’t step outside of the monotonous flow of what people expect you to do and say. I think that in my later assignments I was much more comfortable with going after what I needed and putting aside my nerves. Those experiences also gave me the confidence to go out and record my own project in Hyde Park centered around friendship.

Toward the latter half of my internship I got the chance to get some valuable film and editing experience when I went to interview the sculptor Carl Gabriel nearby. I was given plenty of opportunities to practice photography as well, including during Paddington Arts’ production of the musical Annie. 

I do wish I had another month or so here. I feel like I’m just hitting my stride, and I’d love to go out and take the initiative to find more stories in this community. I am happy though with what I’ve accomplished in this month or so, and I’ve appreciated being a part of such a tight knit and committed community here. You never know, maybe I’ll cross paths with Paddington Arts again in the future.

Internship Experience at Paddington Arts

/0 Comments/in /by

By Peyton Harvey

This spring, I had the exciting opportunity to intern at Paddington Arts and contribute to its online blog. At the beginning of my internship experience, I was incredibly eager to learn about Paddington Arts and its work in North Paddington and even more excited to see how my contributions to the online blog would contribute to the organization’s broader goals. Before this internship, my experience with journalism was limited, and I found myself nervous about diving into unfamiliar tasks.

However, my nerves quickly dissipated after my first week at Paddington Arts. The Paddington Arts environment is incredibly conducive to fostering creativity and supporting personal growth. I focused on topics I truly cared about and was excited to explore. This creative freedom allowed me to center my attention on passionate subjects, which allowed me to generate higher-quality pieces and become immersed in the work. There were seldom moments where I felt creatively stumped or as though I needed more time to explore new concepts I was interested in. This uniquely unconfined internship experience was pleasantly surprising, and this creatively focused environment has allowed me to gain a greater perspective on my career aspirations. 

If not for the opportunity to intern at Paddington Arts, I would not have afforded the space to dive into journalism and learn about the British entertainment industry. My experience at Paddington Arts will stay with me throughout my career. I am leaving this internship with a new outlook on community and teamwork and insight into the journalism world. As my time at Paddington Arts ends, I firmly assert that prospective interns should jump on any opportunity to work for this organization.

My Time at Paddington Arts

/0 Comments/in , /by

By Carissa Leong, intern

After seven weeks, my time as an intern in the Digital Newsroom is finally coming to an end. During my time, I’ve appreciated the opportunity to get to know more about the local area while also engaging in media that I enjoy, whether it be about films or music.

My time at the company started off strongly with my analysis and review of Dune: Part Two, a film and franchise sequel that I loved. Surely excessive in length, I enjoyed breaking it down thematically and comparing it to the book, and it was one of my favorite projects that I engaged with.

Another cool experience was the opportunity to work with artist managers from UROK Management, Laura Leon and Annabelle Scott-Curry, to cover Tom Odell’s show at the Roundhouse. Having gone in knowing so little about his work, I ended the night discovering an incredible artist with completely warranted popularity. His vocals, instrument composition, and minimalist aesthetic were all so well put-together and immensely impressive to witness live.

Following that up, I compiled a list of publications for send-outs and drafted a press release for Steve Shaw’s photo exhibition, aided by the social media manager Karina Saniuk. I also had the opportunity to develop my interview skills by asking her questions about her career in social media marketing and as a freelancer. On top of all that, I was able to create my own graphic through Canva promoting the upcoming Slam Dunk 2024 rock music festival with a brief playlist of recommendations. 

I got to wrap up my time at Paddington Arts with reviews of a few more recent releases that I enjoyed. One of them was English director Alex Garland’s Civil War which was a dystopic take on America that lent commentary on the role of war journalists. Meanwhile, the other was Fallout, an Amazon Prime Video television adaptation of the popular post-apocalyptic video game series. I finished it in two days, loving the black humor and retro aesthetic clashing with dystopia, and I really appreciated that I was able to share my thoughts on it.

Something that I wish I’d been able to do while I was here was pursue marketing and PR more, as I had gotten the option and assignments late into the term. I would’ve loved to have more time to practice my skills with videography and editing, but I am at least grateful that I got practice with PR and press releases. While I will end up utilizing some skills from journalism in the future, it ultimately is not of interest to me for a career, and I would’ve loved to have the alternative option of marketing earlier. Music photojournalism will always be what I can do on the side, but music marketing–whether it be with a record label or concert promoter–is my end goal which I didn’t get to develop skills specifically for. 

Ultimately, I had a good experience at Paddington Arts and I greatly appreciate the team for giving me free reign to engage in my interests and share it with the world. It supplemented my already existing content creation and journalism experience, and I believe growth from this internship will help me shift career directions in the future.