A Georgia State University junior has been chosen to participate in the Frederick Douglass-Daniel O’Connell Global Internship in Ireland, according to a March 30 announcement from the university.
The program is considered competitive, with only 14 students selected from a pool of 500 applicants across the United States. It offers internships with Ireland-based companies, lectures on Irish culture, and networking opportunities in Dublin, Cork, and Belfast.
Sarah Darabadey, who is majoring in business management and hospitality administration at Georgia State’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business and earning a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language through the Department of Applied Linguistics, will spend her summer working abroad. Darabadey said her background—she is Panamanian and Persian—and her ability to speak three languages have given her insight into different cultures. “When I’m confronted with a perspective different from my own, I don’t see it as a barrier,” she said. “I don’t see different as something to be corrected, but as something to be curious about.”
The internship program is cosponsored by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, the African American Irish Diaspora Network (AAIDN), and the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation. James P. Pellow, president and CEO of CIEE said: “The Douglass-O’Connell program introduces a new generation of young leaders to today’s diverse and vibrant Ireland. It’s a privilege to partner with AAIDN, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, and the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation to help increase diversity abroad as we also help unite the diverse and global Irish diaspora.”
Darabadey was one of four students selected from late Congressman John Lewis’ congressional district in Atlanta who are supported by the Lewis Foundation. Michael Collins, chair of the foundation said: “Congressman Lewis believed in the power of young people to advance justice and build the beloved community. We are proud to support four exceptional students in this year’s program. By expanding their global perspectives and leadership skills in Ireland, this experience helps equip the next generation to carry forward Congressman Lewis’ legacy of creating ‘Good Trouble’ and making the world a better place.”
Darabadey described her selection for an internship placement in Dublin as an opportunity that will challenge her both personally and professionally: “As a business management major, I’ve learned that you can’t truly lead unless you know how to listen first and adapt to people who see the world differently than you do,” she said. “Working in Dublin will force me to step out of my comfort zone and question my own assumptions.”
