cestories
CES | October 2024
INTERN IMPRESSIONS
A FEW WORDS FROM OUR DIRECTOR
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LUCIANA BORREGO FLORES
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LINDSEY CAMPBELL
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•page7• CORYNNE RITTNER
•page9• WILL CHAMBLEE
A few words from our director
A little over a month ago, our CEStastic summer interns Corynne and Will left Maastricht and we can honestly say that we already miss them. During their internship, they have done an extraordinary job stepping into the roles of programme coordinators and communications officers, and experienced study abroad from an entirely different perspective.
Every year, the entire team looks forward to welcoming CES alumni back to Maastricht as there is no one better equipped to help new groups of students settle in to their new home away from home. Therefore, we have just published a vacancy for two interns for summer 2025. Head over to our website to read the full vacancy. But before you do, enjoy a look back on the experiences of these wonderful interns:
L in dseyCampbell
Summer 2022 | Baylor University
Summer 2023 | University of California, Santa Barbara
Ilja Schreinemakers
Interim
director of
Summer 2024 | Christopher Newport University
Summer 2024 | Baylor University
the Center for European Studies (CES) and Maastricht Summer School (MSS)
Luciana Borrego Flores
Summer 2022
“What I liked best about the internship was being able to serve as a resource of support for students.”
During her internship, Luciana helped plan and manage social events for our summer students and assisted with social media campaigns and content creation. She and her fellow intern, Amy, are the founders of CES’ TikTok account.
- Alana
Luciana's favourite part about the internship was being able to serve as a resource of support for students and being able to plan connectivity events for them. She loved to brainstorm and film TikTok videos, and her favourite trip was when she took a group of Australian students to Cologne, Germany.
She cherishes the memories she made during her second time in Maastricht, but her absolute favourite ones are of “the coffee runs we used to have in the morning, being the office DJ, having ‘vlaai’ picnics with the students, and going to Pinky’s!!”
What she learned about herself
“To live life at a slower pace and to be more present!”
What she is up to now
She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where she works as an engagement financial analyst for Deloitte. She is also part of the Hispanic organisation there and is able to use the communication and creative skills she gained during her internship to plan events and create monthly newsletters.
Lindsey Campbell
Summer 2023
“It was really cool to see my own study abroad experiences from a “behindthe-scenes” perspective.”
Lin of reels”. videos that remind me of Maa
What she liked best about the internship from a “behind-the-scenes” perspective. “It the warmer months and pick up my little r the creative freedom that the internship off
Since the COVID-19 pandemic limited Lind to return to Maastricht and “feel like a stud j about Maastricht’s local culture , since “there were answer my ques
"Growing up with a multicultura background prepared me a lot more than I expected."
Lindsey's favourite trip was the Berlin study trip with our fall semester students. “I had visited Berlin before, but I got to experience so many new things the second time around. It felt like the last hurrah before the end of my internship.”
She also loved going on morning walks to Koffie, eating ‘vlaai’ almost every week, having a @DailyDutchLunch with ever d in public from the CES Instagram and meeting Andr
What she lea
“Growing up l backgro ore than I expected, and I’m starting to imagine what opportunities it could bring in the future. I now feel much more comfortable communicating directly, and I also learned that I enjoy variety and would rather try many new things than become an expert at one!”
What she is up to now...
Lindsey is preparing to apply to nursing school in California. “Two of my roommates at a hostel I stayed at last summer were nurses, and they told me about how flexible nurse schedules can be for people who like to travel or have other interests outside of their career. I wouldn’t have realized how valuable that is to me if I hadn’t studied abroad.”
Corynne Rittner
Summer 2024
“The people I met really made the experience memorable.”
Corynne loved her experience so much she is looking into coming back to Maastricht to continue her journey. “I would be the first to eagerly recommend this position to other students. I wish I could stay longer or be full time on the team.”
Her favourite part about the internship was getting to know and work with the staff and students. “The people I met really made the experience memorable.”
- Alana
"I am looking into coming back in the future to continue my journey here in Maastricht."
ut of her free time and embarked on her first ever solo trip to iving in a movie, and I was so excited to see everything (especially e ‘wrong’ side of the road). I walked 30 miles in two days and did wanted to do and more. Looking back, I was so proud of myself anning and completing that trip successfully.”
Some of her other favourite memories are “swimming in the North Sea in Zeebrugge (near Bruges) with my friends, dancing in the pouring rain outside the guesthouse, or my first glimpse of the Eifel Tower from the Seine.”
Our favourite memory of Corynne is her encouraging line: “you're doing great!”
What she learned about herself
“I have grown so much since being here. I have seen my confidence soar, and have experienced a true sense of independence. I have learned how to work on such an amazing team, and how to lead large groups. I learned that I am capable of stepping outside my comfort zone to accomplish anything I put my mind to.
It is so surreal to look back on how far I’ve come and if I were asked six months ago, I never would have thought I would have done all that I did during my internship.”
What she is up to now
She left a permanent little reminder in one of the CES offices and made sure we will never forget her!
She went back to Christopher Newport University, her home university, to finish the final year of her bachelor's degree in psychology. After obtaining her bachelor's degree, she will look for additional schooling for a master's degree or a job in which she can help people or students, preferably in a higher education setting.
Will Chamblee
Summer 2024
“Throughout my experience, I have made lifelong friends both in Maastricht and across Europe.”
Both Will and Cory revamping our MaasTIPs v series is to help incoming studen explaining how to use public transport, bit under the weather, and so much mo shooting clips to starring in and editing the videos, they really poured their heart and soul into the series and we are sure that it will have a big impact on many students’ lives in the future.
What he liked best about the internship was the ability to meet people and students from different cultures and countries. “Throughout my experience, I have made lifelong friends both in Maastricht and across Europe. I know I will look back on this time and be thankful for the ti I h d ”
"The ability to give advice to future and current students (...) is a special and rewarding responsibility."
He loved working on the MaasTIPS video series: “collaborating with Corynne and Naomi on MaasTIPS was one of the most fulfilling work experiences I have had! The ability to give advice to future and current students that will enhance their study abroad experience in Maastricht is a special and rewarding responsibility.”
He travelled to many cities and countries during his weekends off but his favourite trip was to Cinque Terre in Italy. “From exploring the beautiful Italian
Riviera to making new friends in remote Italian villages, I had a wonderful time.”
Will describes his internship as “ an incredible and formative experience. Living and working abroad is one of the best ways to dive into a different culture and really experience what the world has to offer. Everyone on the CES team was so welcoming and I certainly made connections and friendships that will last a lifetime.”
"My internship at CES was an incredible and formative experience."
What he learned about himself...
“I’ve learned how to adapt and overcome any challenge. Working in a different industry, country, and continent can pose very specific issues and challenges, but the experience I gained overcoming those challenges taught me valuable skills and traits that I will take with me forever.”
What
he is up to now...
Last month, Will started a new position as an associate at FGS communications and public affairs consultancy. They could no person for the job!
cestories
For this edition:
Text
Photography
Ideas & input
Design & layout
Ilja Schreinemakers, Luciana Borrego Flores, Lindsey Campbell, Corynne Rittner, Will Chamblee
Luciana Borrego Flores, Lindsey Campbell, Corynne Rittner, Will Chamblee, Center for European Studies
Naomi Nijssen
Naomi Nijssen
CENTER FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES
Bonnefantenstraat 2, 6211 KL Maastricht +31 43 388 5282 | ces.info@maastrichtuniversity.nl
