Richard Sullivan: A summer in Belize
Many students at UIS complete an internship, getting credit for working in the real world.
Not many go as far as Belize to do it.
Putting His Mind to Security
Richard Sullivan did, working in the Regional Security Office in the U.S. Embassy—Belmopan, Belize. Richard, who plans to go to graduate school in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, liked especially the analytical side of providing security to American personnel in Belize.
But he learned about more than just work. “As the plane was coming down,” he says, “it occurred to me that I didn’t know my boss, didn’t know what I would be doing, didn’t know how to live there.” Throughout his summer in Belize, each time he thought of that moment, he could say to himself,
“I’m doing it—I’m making a living here.”
So what do UIS’ internships offer students?
UIS is deeply committed to providing real-life work experience outside the classroom. We believe these greatly enrich students' understanding of life, of work, and most of all themselves.
Look at what Richard gained from his summer in Belize--
- Certainly work experience and career exploration.
- Absolutely self-directed learning.
- Definitely confidence.
As you can see from Richard’s story, perhaps internships provide that most of all.
Will you help?
If you would like to support the internship program at UIS, please consider making a gift to the Applied Study Term and Experiential Learning Fund.
For questions, please contact Jill Bohn, our gift officer for this program. You can meet her by using the Meet Our Gift Officer link at left. Or you can call our office directly.
