Hi! My name is Zara and I am currently in my second year of university, studying BA Spanish and French. Due to the pandemic, all of the plans I had to develop my employability fell through (regretfully), so when I saw that Think Pacific offered a virtual internship, I leapt at the chance to complete it. Over the summer, I participated in the Think Pacific virtual internship, following the 12-week program. There were four phases to my internship: discover, decide, design and deliver. Each phase lasted for 3 weeks, each with a different focus.

During the ā€˜discoverā€™ phase, I spent a lot of time learning more about Fijian culture. There were eight different modules, each focusing on different aspects of Think Pacific. Examples of the modules included ā€˜sustainable developmentā€™, ā€˜cultural intelligenceā€™ or ā€˜The Think Pacific Storyā€™. All of the modules were really comprehensive and easy to follow, whilst also providing so much in-depth information about topics I had never had much exposure to previously. It was a unique opportunity to gain insight into a culture I have never really considered before, especially as a languages student who dedicates my to predominantly European cultures.

During the decide phase, I had the opportunity to pick a Fijian organisation to partner with and to create a project for. There was a vast range of projects to choose from, all with differing focuses ā€“ NGOs, sports, business, among others. I knew that I was more interested in fields linked to NGOs and education, so I spent a considerable amount of time looking through all of the projects linked to these two sectors.

I ultimately decided to work with an organisation called ā€˜Comfy Printsā€™, a small business in Fiji which creates reusable menstrual products. I created materials to raise awareness about the importance of menstrual hygiene and the benefits or reusable pads. As part of my project, I created a booklet which contained information about menstrual health, the menstrual cycle, managing periods and the stigmas surrounding menstrual cycles and how these can be broken. I also created posters with facts about reusable period products and menstrual hygiene to go in the packaging of purchased reusable pads.

In the final phase, the ā€˜deliverā€™ phase, I presented my completed project to my mentor. This involved creating a PowerPoint showcasing all of the skills I had learned throughout my internship, the parts that I enjoyed, areas I felt I had developed personally and professionally and my final product. Dedicating time to reflect on my own journey with Think Pacific, and the skills I had gained from it, was a really gratifying experience and I really enjoyed how much emphasis the organisation placed on self-evaluation.

I gained so many valuable skills from completing my virtual Think Pacific internship; I gained increased cultural awareness, had the opportunity to develop my digital skills, and completed a career-specific work placement. I really enjoyed my experience and would encourage other students to take part in it, as it is a great project to take on over the summer!

Think Pacific Internship!

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