Astronomy in Ireland!

After graduating college, I wanted to do a bit of travelling but also wanted to maintain a connection with my specialization. This is where Connect-123 came in. I wasn’t expecting them to find something that fit with my area of expertise because it’s not the most studied topic. However, they surprised me with a placement in a wonderful organization that allowed me to share my passion for astronomy. I will always be grateful for Connect-123’s hard work and dedication on finding me this internship in Dublin.

Dublin itself is a marvellous city with a vibrant atmosphere full of kind-hearted people. It’s difficult to walk down a street and not hear/see someone playing a musical instrument or entertaining passersby in some other way. I didn’t live in the city centre itself, but the public transportation system is very well laid out which made travelling quite easy. I stayed with a host family which was absolutely wonderful - I was able to delve right into Irish culture, and now I have a second family abroad!

The Dublin program coordinator is an absolute gem, and it’s obvious that she cares about your experience abroad from the first day you arrive. If you ever need anything or have an issue pop up, she is incredibly easy to reach and makes sure that you’re able to reach the other interns as well.

After completing my internship, I returned to the United States, and after a few months of anxious job-searching, I was fortunate enough to land my dream job as an outreach coordinator at NASA.

Thank you to Connect-123 for helping me to reach this huge goal of mine and for the stellar experience interning abroad!