Carol Woody Internships Available

by Women's Studies Department | January 27, 2009

Congratulations to the 2009 winners of the Carol Woody Real World Internship Awards! Chung

They are Katherine Aument (Hispanic Studies/Sociology ’09), Sewon Chung (Sociology, ’10), and Amanda Potter (Latin American Studies/Film Studies, ’10). All three students travelled to the Mexican/U.S. border to work with BorderLinks, a non-profit that offers educational programs on issues of immigration, community formation, sustainable development, and social justice in the borderlands between Mexico, the U.S., and beyond.

Sewon Chung examined the ways in which “transnational social processes unfold locally in the everyday lives of Latina women.” A recently naturalized citizen herself, Chung is interested in the links between globalization and women’s labor along the border.

Here's what Sewon had to say about her experience: "The borderlands is the place where "space between two individuals shrinks with intimacy" (Anzaldúa 1987) In this intimate space, we conducted field research and on the field, I saw two different worlds coming together and forming an intersection. The trip to the border transformed my perception, Chung2 not only of Latino migration, but also my own self-identity--a student, a daughter of immigrants, and a member of a community."

Katherine Aument, a senior Sociology/Hispanic Studies major, gathered information for her senior research project, conducting ethnographies planned with help from Borderlinks in Tucson/Nogales. She notes that “the research trip to the Border offers very practical outcomes” as well, since she may seek a job with Borderlinks or a kindred organization that addresses gender challenges in the area.

Amanda Potter, already a visitor to the Tuscon/Nogales areas over her winter break, returned to examine questions about what defines a “migrant” and human rights in this area.

Is it a coinc border idence that all three students chose to travel to the same area? No, all are in a course on the Borderlands. Professors Silvia Tandeciarz and Jennifer Bickham Mendez, of the Hispanic Studies and Sociology departments, designed and co-taught the course with a one-credit spring break travel option. Carol Woody’s generous donations to the program enabled all three women to pursue their research in a very hands-on, real world experience.

Carol Woody Internship awards are available for female students seeking real world experience to complement their studies. The awards are available for students interested in doing an internship over spring break or in the summer. Applicants are asked to submit a one-page description of where they wil Carol Woody l spend their internship, why they chose this particular internship, and what they hope to gain from this experience. Please include an estimate of expenses. Applications were due in the Women's Studies office (322 Morton Hall) by Thursday, February 6, 2009 by 5:00 p.m. For more details, call 221-2457.