INTERNSHIP INSIGHT: Clare O'Keefe Takes Advantage Of Semester-Long Internship In Ireland

INTERNSHIP MODEL | GULL2GULL MENTORING PROGRAM | STUDENT STORIES

BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott College is a pioneer in requiring comprehensive internship experiences in every program of study for undergraduate students. Clare O'Keefe (Lutz, Fla.), who is a junior on the women's tennis team and a sport management major at Endicott, is currently interning at the Cork Institute of Technology in the Sport, Leisure, and Childhood Studies department in Cork, Ireland. Here's a look into her internship experience.

ECGULLS: Describe your overall internship experience. 

O'KEEFE: My internship this semester is taking place in Cork, Ireland. I am working at the Cork Institute of Technology in the Sport, Leisure, and Childhood Studies department. Over the semester, I will be completing marketing projects, creating promotional videos and pictures, developing graphics, working with faculty and post-graduate students on their projects, and developing a greater understanding of how university departments operate in aspects aside from teaching.  

ECGULLS: What have you learned from your internship?

O'KEEFE: I've learned a lot from my internship so far. From data inputting, marketing projects, graphic illustration, photo and video editing, and researching, every new day at my internship provides me with new knowledge about the department, how sport education operates, and how I can apply this knowledge in my future career.

ECGULLS: How will this internship help you in your career moving forward?

O'KEEFE: I'm hopeful that this internship will allow me to learn a lot more about the sport industry, especially on the educational level, and will also be a major resume boost. The ability to work in a different country for four months and have experience working alongside different cultures is something that I believe will really grant me opportunities in my career that I might not have been qualified for if I did my semester-long internship in the states.

ECGULLS: What kind of networking have you done at your internship?

O'KEEFE: I network every day when I come into my internship because I'm building new relationships with everyone I talk to, work with, and collaborate with on projects. I know the majority of the faculty in my department and they know me back, and having these international connections is something I aim to utilize when looking for a position after graduation.

ECGULLS: Do you have a favorite experience or story from your internship? If so, what was it?

O'KEEFE: I haven't had a favorite experience yet from my internship, but I believe that's only because I haven't had a single negative experience. Each day is something new and exciting, and everyone I've had the chance to meet and work with has been an absolute pleasure. I know I'll have many stories to tell by the time I fly back to America, and I'm certain they'll all be good ones.

THE ENDICOTT INTERNSHIP MODEL

A philosophy of "learning by doing" permeates the college curriculum in which students are encouraged to integrate theory and practice in all of their studies.

Through their experiences in internships students will be prepared to:

• Apply, integrate, and evaluate knowledge within a particular academic discipline
• Develop competencies for careers and community service
• Explore career options and gain field experience
• Foster personal growth through increased self-confidence, interpersonal skills, an understanding of self and others, and a heightened awareness of ethical standards
• Improve the ability to learn in a self-directed manner

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(Photo Credit - Clare O'Keefe)