In its third year, the summer internship program at Global Minds Network continues to be a success in 2022. Three student leaders from AIESEC, the world’s largest youth-led non-profit organization, were selected to serve as summer interns.
The summer interns hold Vice-President and President positions at the AIESEC Local Committee of their respective universities based in the US. Casey Dahl from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Arianne Kim from the University of Washington, and Rohit Ramesh from George Washington University were all able to gain important knowledge and insights through their internship experience. They assisted Global Minds Network in a variety of ways, working on vital projects in marketing, strategy, and communications.
Contributing Value through Global Development
In his role as a Global Development Intern, Rohit Ramesh was responsible for tasks involving International Strategy & Operations for Global Minds Network. Throughout the summer, Rohit worked on two major projects: a Competitive Market Analysis and an International Partnership Analysis. He pursued research and analysis of the target market and international business environment, as well as identified potential future partners for Global Minds Network. In addition to creating awareness through social media, he supported the transition of a social action project through country briefs and recommendations. Furthermore, Rohit was given the opportunity to speak to members of the International Advisory Team as part of a series of mentor calls. “These conversations were probably my favorite part of my internship,” he explained, “I really learned a lot in terms of how to approach my future academic and professional experiences.”
Arianne Kim, the intern responsible for international marketing, focused on the development of strategic planning and events for Global Minds Network. With her background in marketing, she conducted a social media analysis and developed an international PR plan to strengthen positioning and to increase awareness for the target audience. With her experience in hosting events, she also assisted with the development of the Global Innovation Readiness online event series. In order to increase webinar traffic and successful results, she devoted her time to the development of communication strategies with the International Advisory team. She not only had a chance to advance her professional skills but also had an opportunity to expand her network with the team. Gaining insights from the mentorship calls, she said, “It was a valuable experience to broaden my perspective of how I see marketing and my career path. Also, I was able to connect the knowledge I have learned from class to real-life examples.”
Casey Dahl, the intern specializing in International Communications, was responsible for investigating and proposing online solutions and platforms for the Global Innovation Readiness offering. She also had the opportunity to co-design and develop a corporate video concept with the goal of effectively communicating the brand and services at Global Minds Network. She also served as Editor of the Summer newsletter and co-authored two blogs. When asked about her experience interacting with the team, Casey recounts, “Connecting with advisors and thought leaders at Global Minds Network has been a highlight of this internship. Through mentor calls, I have received amazing advice on how to navigate my career as an upcoming graduate and how I can leverage my skills and abilities gained to find a position that I am passionate about”.
Youth Leaders Creating Impact Around the World
Founder and Executive Director of Global Minds Network, Karina R. Jensen, an alumna of AIESEC US and California State University – San Jose, recruited the students through the AIESEC Life platform for US alumni. Pleased with the excellent results from past and current summer interns, she emphasized “it is wonderful to continue the AIESEC spirit through our summer internship program where young global leaders are aligned with our vision of creating greater impact around the world.”
Although each Summer intern managed their own projects, they had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate among each other in weekly update calls with Founder Karina R. Jensen, attend focus group calls to get feedback on their projects from advisors and thought leaders, and share their findings in the monthly Advisory call. Their efforts have made valuable contributions in supporting key initiatives at Global Minds Network. As they conclude their summer internships and they resume their university studies, their leadership journeys will continue to aim for ways to create global and local impact.
Authors: Casey Dahl, Arianne Kim, and Rohit Ramesh – Global Development Interns at Global Minds Network