Up until last month, Nebraska Wesleyan University student Sarah Hotovy had never traveled abroad. Now she’s spending her summer in Indonesia as one of only 10 students in the nation selected for a unique internship program.
Hotovy was selected for the Freeman Indonesia Non-Profit Internship Program. Selected students spend nine weeks in Indonesia and enroll in a language and culture course as well as participate in an internship.
Hotovy learned of the opportunity in professor Bob Oberst’s “Modernization and Development” class. A class assignment challenged her to propose a development plan for a country. She chose Indonesia because of the country’s natural disasters and large-scale outbreaks of tropical communicable diseases that have hindered the nation’s development.
“When I looked into this program, it turned out to align with my interest in nonprofit organizations and international health and development,” said the senior political science and biochemistry major from York, Neb.
As part of the program, U.S. undergraduates are teamed up with Indonesian students who are pursuing undergraduate degrees in the U.S. Together they intern at a nonprofit organization that aligns with their interests.
Hotovy is currently interning with the Humana Foundation Institute for Social Research, which provides street children with access to healthcare and education.
“I hope this opportunity solidifies my career plans in international public health,” she said.
Following her graduation from Nebraska Wesleyan next May, Hotovy plans to attend graduate school and pursue a degree in public health or public policy, then eventually return to Indonesia to work with public health issues.
Prior to leaving for Indonesia, Hotovy participated in her first study abroad experience in China, where she and other Global Service Learning members from NWU volunteered at an organic farm and taught English classes at a migrant school.
“I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have had as a student at Nebraska Wesleyan,” she said. “The courses I take and the activities I participate in continually challenge me to consider the responsibilities that accompany my global citizenship.”