My internship in Bogotá - Anna Hamati

I have recently returned from an internship in Bogotá, Colombia at the Colombian Agency for Reintegration. I had a fabulous summer in Bogotá. I lived with a lovely host mother and several Colombian students. The Colombian culture is unique and the Colombian people are extremely friendly. Although Colombia has a reputation as being dangerous in the United States, I felt safe taking public transportation and exercising outside.

            My internship was amazing! I worked for a government agency in Colombia and during my time there, I attended meetings with government officials, visited centers where the agency operated, and created presentations and wrote grants for the agency. The people I worked with were very friendly and engaging, they wanted me to get the best experience I could. It was fascinating for me to work for a foreign government and be accepted by my coworkers as more than just a summer intern. I was taken to see the president speak as well as attended conferences at other universities, like Los Andes.

            Overall I loved my experience in Colombia. The food is delicious, the juices are even better, the people are so warm and friendly, and my internship was eye opening and an exhilarating experience that has given me something different to talk about in interviews. I am now in law school and I could not have spent my final summer in a better way. I completely recommend ViveLA, it is a great organization and they made sure I was enjoying my time and that I was taken care of. I love Colombia and I hope to be returning soon!