Student Spotlight: Michael Davy, International Internship Program

Photo courtesy of M. Davy

Name: Michael Davy

Hometown: La Crosse, Wisconsin

Year: Senior

Area of Study: Marketing and Spanish

Program: International Internship Program / Virtual Internships (with Astromantica Cartonera in Vigo, Spain in 2020 and Plataforma PLACA in Madrid, Spain in 2021)

What made you want to study abroad?

When I was in high school, I did a summer exchange program in France that kind of started this whole like domino effect of just wanting to keep going and keep immersing myself. I think that was the main motivation…I think back to my experience when I was 15 and I just had the best time ever… it’s one of those experiences you really can’t get anywhere else.

Why did you choose this program?

I met with [International Internship Programs advisor] Carly Stingl and she did an amazing job of explaining to me all of my different options… she made it sound like the most fun thing in the world.

I really liked that I would still be connected to the university in some way as I did [a collaboration between Memorial Library and Astromántica Cartonera for the calendar year], that’s what really sold it.

What impact did your experience with the program have on your future?

Hopefully one day, [I will be working] binationally – based either here, in Spain or a different Spanish-speaking country and work between the two. That’s what the internship mirrored. I could get the experience here in the United States, go to Spain, do something a little bit different but still related and then come back and pick up where I left off.

Since all of my study abroad got cancelled for obvious reasons (resulting in two virtual internships in Spain), I’m actually going to be applying to NALCAP (North American Language and Cultural Assistants Program) so that I can be an English language teaching assistant in Spain for a year [and actually go abroad].

What was your experience with the International Internship Program (IIP) like and do you have advice for other students considering similar programs?

It really has been such an amazing piece of my college experience. I really can’t imagine my experience without it here… For anyone unsure, do it and there’s nothing wrong with applying and seeing where it takes you!

Want to learn more about Michael’s experience? Check out his Instagram story takeover on the IIP Instagram account (@uw_iip) which is saved as the “Plataforma” highlight!