Megan Romania
Class of 2015
My CGS Story:
In September 2014, I was lucky to be selected as an intern for the Center for Global Studies at the Pennsylvania State University. Even though I only interned for a semester, I had the opportunity to partake in various activities. Over the course of the semester, I completed certain tasks, including: writing newsletters and blogs, advertising for events, teaching after-school clubs at a local charter school, and developing my own event for International Education Week.
As a conversation partner through the Global Connections Office, I help adults learn English in an informal setting. Because of this, I thought I might like to try teaching children, which is how I ended up at the Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania charter school. There were a range of students aged five to nine within the three after-school clubs that I taught. Teaching children is hard work, which I learned quickly during these sessions: this discipline requires patience and constant energy. Overall, though, it was a very rewarding experience, and I hope to continue teaching by taking up English teaching assistant positions around the world.
My favorite part of the internship was planning my own International Education Week event. For this event, which was called “Climate Change in Developing Countries: Impacts and Solutions,” I planned a short film screening and a panel session. The film screening showcased drought and issues associated with water wars in the horn of Africa. Then, three panelists (pictured right), all within different departments at Penn State, discussed their personal interest and research concerning impacts of climate change in developing countries. They also discussed what we, as a developed nation, can do to help mitigate these impacts. I hope to continue with my interest in global sustainability and climate change impacts in developing countries by serving in the Peace Corps for two years.
L-R: Peter Buckland, graduate assistant at the Sustainability Institute, Bryan Cwik, postdoctoral scholar at the Rock Ethics Institute, and Michael Jacobson, professor of Forestry Resources talked about climate change in developing countries during my IEW event.
Overall, the CGS was a rewarding experience in which I gained skills that will continue to contribute to my international education and travels!