Stinters' Corner Archives

October 4, 2017October 22, 2018

Alumni Catch Up With Sarah Moffit

Last week caught up with Stinter & University of Utah graduate Sarah Moffit. Whilst in Dublin, Sarah interned with vStream Digital Media as a member of their production team. Sarah gained vast experience throughout her time with vStream. Whilst her hard work and passion did not go unnoticed! vStream rewarded Sarah’s efforts by allowing her to take the lead during the production of one project. Enough from us, let’s hear Sarah’s news…

Tell us why you chose to do an internship in Dublin?

I wanted to go to Ireland desperately, but I wanted to do more than just visit for two weeks. I wanted to know the locals and work with them. When my school connected me with Stint, I knew it was going to be the perfect set up.

(Sarah enjoying dinner with fellow Stinters!)

Did you enjoy your time in Ireland?

That’s a crazy question! I loved it!! I loved living in a house full of interns talking about our different work experiences and our family and friends back home. I loved traveling with these same strangers turned family. I loved our nights out on the town and our nights in with a glass of wine and a good movie. I loved working at my office and with my coworkers. I learned so much in those three months, about myself and what I want to do. I got the chance to be on set with a project I worked on all summer and play a necessary role as well! I saw each coast of Ireland and a few places in between 😉 I made lifelong friends and built quality relationships with my coworkers. I loved my time in Ireland.

I loved living in a house full of interns talking about our different work experiences and our family and friends back home. I loved traveling with these same strangers turned family.

What are you doing now?

I am actually continuing what I started in Dublin! I work for a post-production studio in LA and have recently been offered a role as a post-production assistant working hands-on with projects! It’s similar to what I did in Ireland and I’ll add that my experience during my Stint played a huge role in getting my foot in the door. I keep in touch with my coworkers, my supervisor, fellow Stinters, and my favorite admin at the Stint HQ 😉

(Sarah made the most of her time in Dublin)

Did your internship help you reach the job you’re at now?

100% You don’t get interviews unless you have relevant experience. That’s how it goes. The woman that interviewed me asked specifically about my Ireland experience and reflected that I would be a good fit because I had experience at a post-production company. That same experience also recommended me for the role I was just asked to fill as a post-production assistant. My internship through Stint gave me the confidence to pursue this career path. I gained so much experience at Visual that I felt comfortable applying to jobs I probably wouldn’t have post-grad! When I first arrived in Dublin, I was trying it out to see if it might be something I would want to pursue. Now, a year later, I have graduated from college and am about to transition to a full-time position as a post-production assistant working toward my dreams!

Any advice for future interns?

Take advantage of every opportunity! Get to know the people you live with and work with, they could be lasting friends.

We want to say congratulations to Sarah on her new job, you are awesome! Head over to our YouTube channel to see Sarah Moffit during her internship and many other intern stories.

in Stinters' Corner

September 19, 2017October 19, 2017

Intern Chats with Morehead State University student Madison Wallace

Earlier this month we caught up with Madison Wallace to have some Intern Chats. Madison spent the summer in Dublin, interning with The Works PR. Madison offers a great insight into her Stint experience, whilst she also provides some solid advice!

Over to you Madison…

Tell us why you chose to do an internship?

I have always yearned to travel aboard. I can remember 5-year-old me spinning a globe and dreaming of traveling to wherever my finger landed on. As a college student, that dream was able to become a reality. As a requirement of my academic program, it was necessary that I obtain an internship. An idea came to me: what if I combined my requirement of an internship with my desire to study abroad? I quickly set off on a search to find an internship abroad. My searching efforts led me to Stint Ireland.

…and why Ireland?

I knew that I wanted to go to an English speaking country and Ireland was at the top of that list. (Plus, I really wanted to visit the place where two of my favorite movies-Leap Year and P.S. I Love You- were filmed.)

The best thing about Dublin is…

you always having something to do, no matter your budget or personality. Take a stroll through Phoneix Park or take in a show at the Olympia theater. Make sure to eat at Darkey Kelly’s! Wonderful food and an even better atmosphere.

(Madison at the Cliffs of Moher)

If you could give future intern abroad participants one piece of advice, what would that be?

Don’t be afraid to get out and do things. I spent a large part of my trip too scared to go out and experience Ireland on my own. Don’t be!!! Try everything at least once. Hop on a plane and spend a long weekend in London. Make the most of your trip, because my biggest regret is not stepping out of my comfort zone soon enough. I missed out on so many wonderful opportunities. Take advantage of every moment!

my biggest regret is not stepping out of my comfort zone soon enough. I missed out on so many wonderful opportunities. Take advantage of every moment!

The weirdest thing about Dublin is…

the slang. It’s okay if it takes you a little bit to pick it up. Also, don’t be alarmed if you hear a little snicker when you pronounce certain Irish words. It took me weeks to pronounce “Aoife”(Ee-Fa) the correct way.

And of course, the most important question of all- tea of choice (Barrys or Lyons)?

Barrys (Stint update: Barry’s tea now have three votes to Lyons tea one).

Stint Ireland would like to thank Madison for taking the time to chat with us. Don’t forget about our Early Bird offer- pay your application fee by October 15th, 2017 to avail of our early bird Internship Program offer. You can check out Madison’s video explaining why she chose to secure her internship through Stint here.

in Stint Stories / Stinters' Corner

March 7, 2017May 23, 2017

A Gap Year: Is It Really Worthwhile?

Dear Potential Gap Year Stinter,

Today I thought of you. I thought of you and the choice that lies before you: do I take a leap of faith and partake in a gap year in Dublin? This is no small decision. It must be weighed on personal, spiritual, financial, practical and social levels.

“But what I want you to know — what is imperative that you understand — is that taking this step is the single most loving gesture you could make towards your own personal growth”

I thought of you as I listened on my walk to my Wednesday afternoon podcast, Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. The hosts were discussing what it means to protect and love something or someone. And Casper – I say his name as if we are close friends – Casper said, “To protect something, you need to love it. And to love it, you need to know it.” And I was almost halted in my tracks as I realized that before my time in Dublin I didn’t know myself, not really. If I had known before I moved the girl I was, am, and will be, I had lost sight of her for a time.

Back home, I felt stuck. I had graduated from college with two degrees and honors, and yet I was waiting tables and moonlighting as a science fiction editor. I was still piecing myself together after my greatest heartbreak to date and the subsequent return of my clinical, and nearly fatal, depression. I was living at home and felt my youth was being wasted on my claustrophobia-inducing small town. Looking back on it I know that this isn’t an uncommon sentiment for someone my age. There’s a reason Taylor Swift sings, “We’re happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time.” I felt trapped and I wanted out.

“That’s who I was when I applied to the program. That’s not who I am anymore”

Travel, Live, Grow.

I’m nearly to the six month anniversary of my arrival in Ireland. I’ve traveled all around the country and then some. I’ve kissed the Blarney Stone and I’ve hiked through the Wicklow mountains. I’ve toured the Ring of Kerry and I’ve traveled by rickety plane over to the Aran Islands. I’ve danced the night away at Flannery’s and seen a concert at Whelan’s. I’ve traveled north, stood on the Giant’s Causeway, walked the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, and even met Kit Harrington. I’ve jetted over to Edinburgh and climbed Arthur’s Seat, and I’ve even traveled to London to see my future school.

But it’s not the physical journeys that make up my Stint experience. And, although I love them dearly, it isn’t my Stint family either. It’s my Sundays.

This Is Why It’s Worth It…

On Sundays, I wake up at 10:30 a.m. and walk the quarter mile to the gym. I get on the bike and I ride with a room full of strangers through what is always a humbling workout. Then I go to church in all my sweaty, panting glory. On my way home, I stop by Brother Hubbard South and pick up a scone, jam, and butter. And then I feast at the kitchen table with my housemates recounting our last two nights. I boil myself a cup of tea and I breathe.

For what feels like the first time in years, I am content.

Sometime during the day I go to Lidl, just twenty minutes away, and pick up my food for the week. I listen to James Bay serenade me through my headphones on the walk by the canal filled with swans. I meander through the grocery aisles and then stuff my reusable grocery bags (because that’s all they have in Ireland) with sweet potatoes, chicken breasts, and barbecue sauce.

Back at the house again, I start to work a new freelance gig, happy to have some contact with the industry that I love. Around 5:00 p.m., I FaceTime my parents. I tell them I love them, that I’m grateful for their support, and that I’m happy. I mean all three.

Sundays are my favorite days because they are the days when I feel at home. And that is no small feat. I’m very aware of the sacrifices I have made, the trials I have endured, and the active choice I continually make to keep living.

I have reinvented myself from the nothingness that I previously felt I was, and I have formed myself into a young woman I am proud of.

I choose this life every day. I have a life I know, a life I love, and, as Casper predicted, a life I want to protect. And I make every effort to engage in those little daily acts of self-love.

And When It’s All Over

I know one day I will have to get on a plane and return to Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.A. I know one day I won’t be walking down the street with a scone in my pocket and my face towards the sun – which, by the way, is visible a lot more than the Irish propagandists want you to believe. I know one day I won’t wake up in this “dirty old town,” that one day I won’t be able to stop and marvel at the fact that I’m actually living in Dublin, that I’m actually doing it. One day it will be done. But I have gained more from six months as a part of Stint than I gained in four years of university and eighteen years before that. I’m never going to be able to replace the journey I have had during my time here.

It is because of my Sundays that I urge you to take a leap of faith. Make that gesture of self-love and give yourself a chance to grow into the person you truly are. I promise you, stranger, that gifting yourself this confidence is priceless.

With all my love and best wishes,

Rose

Rose Friel is a self-proclaimed ENFJ with a love of whiskey, books, and being an utter cliche. She graduated from Villanova University with a double major in English and Communications and will be matriculating to London College of Communication in September 2017 to pursue her masters in publishing. Check out her occasionally published works on Thought Catalog (http://thoughtcatalog.com/rose-friel/) or her flora legia style blog (http://www.theexpatmusings.com/). our journey! We are super proud of you Rose.

in Stinters' Corner

February 13, 2017February 13, 2017

My Journey to Interning in Ireland

by Tia Mitsis

For many young students a semester overseas, a gap year or internship sounds exciting. It sounded exciting to me too as a young university student. At the time I didn’t have the financial ability to do it. I yearned to have an exciting international adventure, I looked through the various semester abroad brochures at my university but it was a dream I knew I could not realize at that point in my life. Fast-forward a few years and here I am; an intern in the vibrant capital of Ireland, arguably one of the literary capitals of the world.

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

You don’t easily make the decision I came to. It is a risk to essentially walk away from a job and life you know to go overseas and work in an entirely different field. The decision required much soul searching and a keen sense of adventure. Everyone told me I was brave. I didn’t see it that way then. I saw it as a risk. A risk compared to the more predictable goings-on of daily reality. It is the fear of the unknown compared to the known. It was a risk I was willing to take. Now I embrace the ‘brave’ label proudly. It is brave to choose to live overseas for a period, complete an internship and experience a different life and culture.

in Stinters' Corner

September 7, 2016October 22, 2018

Going Against the Grain: Why I Chose to Intern Abroad

by Anna Schuttenhelm

From the posters in school, to my friends’ stories, to the pictures I pinned on Pinterest, studying abroad was on my mind for a long time.

To me, it seemed like everyone has studied abroad. Barcelona, London, Paris… I’ve heard all the stories. But as my college years progressed, the idea of studying abroad started to fade away. With each new semester, I became more and more invested in my major, my jobs, and the clubs I was a part of.

While I loved all of the amazing study abroad opportunities out there, I knew that a full semester away would not be possible unless I wanted to give up many of the things I worked so hard to achieve. That did not kill my want to travel and spend time abroad though.

There had to be another way.

in Stinters' Corner

August 16, 2016September 7, 2016

Home Is Where the Dessert Is

by Jacqueline Sirois

When living abroad in Dublin, you’ll find yourself wandering the stony streets of Dublin. Through the hustle and bustle of the city centre, you’ll soon transition from a wide-eyed tourist to being a local, learning to zigzag through the slow crowds in your path. You’ll become accustomed to this fast-paced way of life, getting used to the bus beeping at you as you scamper across that pesky third lane. But even once you take to your new surroundings, every so often, you’ll find little breadcrumbs along the stony streets taking you back home.

For me, that place in Dublin is Queen of Tarts.

in Stinters' Corner

July 21, 2016July 21, 2016

A First Hand (Instagram) Look at Experiences in Ireland

We imagine that prospective Stinters (possibly you), thinking of embarking on an internship abroad or gap year, would like to get a better sense of what an experience abroad is like.

Considering that, we thought it would be a great idea to let our program participants take the reins of our Instagram account to give you a glimpse into life abroad as an intern or gapper.

So far, it has been incredible getting a first hand, behind-the-scenes look, directly from the Stinters themselves. There’s so many nuances to living abroad, from social life with the Stint community to travels abound.

Before we give you the highlights…

in Stinters' Corner

June 22, 2016June 22, 2016

Home is…

by Sara Faltersack

Home.

A simple word with a definition that is far from simple.

For some, home is a house. For others, it’s where family is. Some say home is the place where they were born. Others say it’s a place they just found. For some, home is a place they left and are trying to get back to. Some people have one home. Some people have many homes. Others even have no home at all.

Home is shelter. Home is friends. Home is family. Home is familiarity. Home is love. Home is belonging.

in Stinters' Corner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB8EQQNE5oE

May 10, 2016May 10, 2016

Through Their Eyes: An Experience in Ireland

Most of our Intern Abroad Stinters (program participants) come to Ireland for up to 90 days. While that may seem like a short period of time (like…Christmas was almost 6 months ago!), 2-3 months is a lifetime when it comes to an abroad experience.

It’s unbelievable all the things our Stinters do in that short period of time: taking part in a full-time internship, traveling Ireland and Europe, exploring Dublin, and hanging out with their fellow Stinters.

February 9, 2016February 9, 2016

The Best Memories Are The Moments You Can’t Predict

by Katrina Carlson

Here I am, less than three weeks from my departure date, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous! It’s a feeling that I’ve come to know well. I welcome it as an omen that I’m doing something good for me and stepping out of my comfort zone.

Generally, people call this the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next. As I begin packing and training my replacement at work, I reminisce about working as the records custodian at a local chiropractic office for the last five years; I started there before I could even drive. That job has given so much to me. It is a support group that has encouraged many of my endeavors. It has also provided me the financial means to travel (to France twice and Ireland once before this latest stint for my internship abroad). I am indebted to the individuals who helped me grow into the person I am today.

So, to refer to this part of my life as a chapter would be an understatement. Instead, I would say that this is the end of the first book and the beginning of the next instalment in my saga.

in Stinters' Corner