Part of every student’s journey to graduation here at MIIS includes professional development, and what better way to prepare ourselves for our future careers, than to participate in stretch work? When a Conference Logistics Intern position with the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) was posted on Zocalo, I felt it would be the perfect opportunity to participate in some “stretching.”
The internship required a remote and in-person commitment throughout January and February. I was able to apply for Immersive Learning Funding to attend the conference itself in Montreal. Working with AIEA entailed completing ICC training to better interact with conference attendees from all over the world, help with publicity, plan logistics and participate in weekly conference calls with the other interns and the organization team. Additionally, the opportunity to attend the AIEA conference was unique in that AIEA is a membership organization for mid to upper level education administrators. The sessions were full of practitioners who were essential in crafting and influencing the policies surrounding internationalization, international student recruitment and international partnership building at their institutions. Needless to say, it was fascinating to see my coursework come alive before my eyes while engaging with other prominent international education practitioners. I would encourage anyone who is interested in education policy and higher ed campus internationalization to intern or volunteer with AIEA next year at their conference in Washington, DC.
Author: Chelsea Lavallee MAIEM/MPA 2017
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