30 Nov Meet Saoirse Scott

T2TGlobal would like to welcome a new staff member, Saoirse (pronounced “seer-sha”) Scott. She recently joined the US-based team after completing a summer internship with the Guatemala staff. Currently a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this is the story of how Saoirse made a significant global connection.

Usually over the summer I work in a restaurant. As a college student with bills to pay, waiting tables is a great way to make money without having to think too hard. But here’s the thing…it’s not super fulfilling. It’s not going to give you the experience you need to actually move forward in life. So this year I decided to find an internship.

I searched for an opportunity in a Spanish-speaking country, because I wanted to improve my Spanish fluency. When I stumbled across an international education nonprofit in Guatemala that needed a summer intern, I was thrilled. Coincidentally, the organization’s home office was located in my same town of Chapel Hill, NC (also home to the great University of North Carolina!)

I had opportunities to work with several other organizations, but T2TGlobal stood out to me. Here are four reasons why….

I was going to have the opportunity to work independently. A lot of internships have you doing things like paperwork, coffee runs, photocopying, etc. With T2T, I was able to do a variety of activities, such as facilitate Teacher Trips, edit translations, conduct interviews and attend education workshops. I was glad I could actually be useful, while at the same time building my language skills and developing my professional skills.

Photo taken by Saoirse during a math workshop for teachers in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala

I was going to be able to live in Antigua, Guatemala, for the summer! Antigua is lovely, safe, and has perfect weather. Seriously, it’s always 70 degrees F outside. Even though summer is the wetter season, any rain typically lasts only for a couple of hours, and then the sun reappears. Besides the climate, there are so many beautiful places to visit in Guatemala, and the people are amazing. Very sweet and welcoming. An added benefit that may not apply to everyone—Guatemalans tend to be short, just like me. So I fit right in!

T2T is a wonderful organization. All of the staff members I worked with were exceptional at their jobs and love what they do. I’ve worked in many places where routine is the norm. In a restaurant, you say the same thing to every table, bring them the same food, and so on. With T2T, however, the staff are excited about their work. They’re energetic and always looking for ways to improve their programs.

T2T genuinely does make a positive impact. It’s very easy to go to a country with less privileged people and donate your time and money in the hope that you’re making a difference. T2T actually helps teachers improve their teaching techniques, so they can help generations of students receive better educations. I could see the results of our programs firsthand, and it was very gratifying.

Those are just some of the reasons why I chose to intern with T2T, and I would recommend the position to anyone who is interested in and prepared for it. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything, and I know that it has helped me grow both as a person and as a future professional.