Getting on the job experience abroad

By Janette Neuwahl Tannen[email protected]09-06-2024

Grant Martin had never been to Europe, but this summer he lived and worked there.

Martin, a senior majoring in Innovation, Technology, and Design (ITD) at the University of Miami decided to complete the program's second required internship far away from Miami. He opted for Barcelona, Spain, a city known for its ingenuity.

Along with his ITD classmate, Nikiel Karna, Martin participated in a new pilot program organized by the Office of Study Abroad and its Spanish partner organization, Barcelona Study Abroad Experience (SAE), where he and Karna worked at two Barcelona-based companies for eight weeks, and also got the chance to experience life in a new city.

"I've always wanted to study abroad, and Barcelona is a great place to do that, so when I found out there was a program that offers internships abroad, I realized it was perfect for my situation," said Martin, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Martin worked at PildoLabs, a company working on software that could one day help make flying cars, or vertical takeoff and landing capable aircrafts, a reality. He refined their pitch for potential investors and improved their website, utilizing many of the skills he has learned in Coral Gables through the ITD program.

"Long term, I would like to start my own company, and I think working with a relatively new company in an emerging industry in another part of the world has provided me with tons of invaluable real-world experience," said Martin.

Meanwhile, Karna worked at Wincom, a small company that offers extensions to a popular product management software program called Windchill. He worked on developing an e-learning platform to help Wincom's international clients like NASA and Ferrari better utilize its software to help their teams collaborate more efficiently. This involved extensive video editing and design work, Karna said, and he enjoyed his time at Wincom.

"My experience at Wincom significantly expanded my proficiency with various software tools like Figma and helped me become a better designer in general," said Karna, who taught himself computer coding in high school and now leads a student organization called UDesign, in addition to pursuing a premed track. "It provided me with insights and skills that will benefit me in whichever career path I choose."

Since the University has worked closely with Barcelona SAE on other programs, Devika Milner, assistant dean and executive director of study abroad, said she knew that they could help students find internships. But Milner also knew that the city is an ideal place for creative businesses.

"Barcelona is a startup city with a lot of entrepreneurial investment, so that's one of the reasons we felt it was a good fit for the ITD program," Milner said. "Also, learning how to conduct business abroad and getting the cross-cultural experience of working in another country will set a student apart and make them highly marketable when they graduate."

Before heading to Spain, both Martin and Karna took an internship preparation course designed by Christian Garcia, associate dean and executive director of Toppel Career Center. They were also required to take an internship course during their time in Spain with an instructor at Barcelona SAE. Garcia visited them in July and said he was impressed with how Barcelona SAE helped identify local businesses based on each student's interests, helped them secure housing, and offered weekend excursions.

At Wincom, Garcia met with Simon Heath, founder of the company, and Karna. Wincom has about 17 employees, so during his two months of work, Karna got to know his co-workers well.

"It blew me away how [Heath] was talking about internships and how students should be getting great experience, growing, being pushed, and gaining new skills," Garcia said. "It is rare to find that."

Based in the College of Engineering, ITD is the University's newest interdisciplinary degree program and aims to prepare young entrepreneurs to enter the startup world in as little as three years. The program has two required internships, and several design challenge courses taught by faculty from across the University that help students learn the design thinking method. This strategy can be applied to a range of stumbling blocks, in the public and private sector, and the program often partners with local businesses and nonprofits to troubleshoot issues.

Next summer, Garcia and Milner hope to expand the internship program to offer second-year ITD students more opportunities abroad.

"I would love for ITD students to know there are more options in the future," Milner said. "The ITD program is designed to encourage immersion in and outside the classroom, so those who intern in another country will really be able to fulfill their goals to engage in high-impact experiential learning."