Pressroom

EUSA SUPPORTS MORE UNIVERSITIES IN EUROPE

Students continue to report great internship experience

BOSTON - March 11, 2004
EUSA, a pan-European study abroad organization specializing in academically directed professional practice internships and educational programs in Europe, today announced collaborating with 15 new American educational partners to implement programs in Europe this year. "Increasingly universities are relying on us to do the work on their behalf and to serve their students as they would themselves," said Tony Johnson, EUSA's London Director. "We take that responsibility very seriously." EUSA implements more than 40 customized programs per year on behalf of U.S. universities in four European capitals: Dublin, London, Madrid and Paris.

EUSA also places more than 1,000 students in professional practice internships per year as an integral part of these academic programs. "Although we continue to experience growth, our primary focus is always to meet the individual learning goals of each of the students we serve," said Aden Hayes, EUSA's Madrid director. "With internships, for example, we are careful to match each student based on his or her skills, interests and professional aspirations with the right sponsor organization." The internships EUSA offers cover a wide range of industry sectors, including business, media, arts, healthcare, education, politics, NGOs and communications.

Through site visits and student and supervisor evaluations, EUSA maintains the high quality of its internship database. Student feedback in all four EUSA sites for Fall 2003 indicate students find their professional practice internships a valuable and satisfying experience. Nuria Velazquez, EUSA's placement director in Madrid said, "Students get out of it what they put into it, and it is great to see the level of responsibility given to some of my students."

One of Velazquez's students placed at a record label in Madrid claimed to have chosen most of the songs for the new album by Ella Baila Sola, a Spanish group also popular in Latin America and on Spanish stations in the US. The student reported, "I am from Los Angeles, and I thought I had a pretty good knowledge of the music scene, especially Latin music, but I learned a lot about new artists and new music--I worked very hard, but I had a great experience."

Based on student evaluations, Rebecca Woolf, EUSA's placement director in Dublin reported similar internship experiences for the students she placed during fall 2003. "One student even developed his own testing suite for Java Code for a software framework company in Dublin," she said. "It's nice to know that the skills they applied will be the highlight of their resumes."

"Professional practice internships allow students to feel like an integral part of some of London's -- really Europe's -- leading companies," said Meagan Basilius, EUSA's placement director in London. One of Basilius' placements in communications reported that her work was "distributed to anyone who could use the information, including the VP of Licensing and Business Development and the CEO." "Work offering that kind of exposure and responsibility at a company really gives these young professionals a competitive advantage," said Basilius.

Xavier Gonzalez Del Valle, EUSA's placement director in Paris, placed a student with aspirations to open a high-end restaurant in New York City upon graduation. The student was placed at a luxury four-star hotel where she assisted in every facet of restaurant management, from serving at the bar, providing customer service or preparing food. Upon completion of the internship, she emphasized more than ever that she was convinced of opening her dream restaurant after college.

"I feel very satisfied when a student has been able to validate --or even invalidate sometimes --their career choices," said Gonzalez Del Valle.

EUSA works with universities, departments, and individual professors to build customized international programs based on their respective needs. The organization offers any combination of its services that include internship, program management, academic program development, and residency placement.

EUSA, in partnership with Boston University, was founded with the conviction that the varied and rich cultural environment in the European Union (EU) can open the minds, change the perspectives and build the practical professional skills of students.