Great for Professional Development

I interned with FSD in in the city of Jodhpur. I was an intern during the summer of 2013. I was introduced to the program by a professor at my University. A key benefit of the program was the professional experience that it provided. As a college student I felt I needed a practical component to complement the monotony of pure academics. The program was able to provide "real world experience". This practical experience has been invaluable when applying for jobs. Beyond giving me professional experience I was able to develop important relationships with other program participants as well as staff. The staff always had our backs and made us feel safe for the duration of our internship.

As a major in International Relations the program was a perfect fit. Towards the end of my college career the program helped me define a career path. This was important due to the fact that Liberal Arts majors have a period of anxiety about what they will do after graduation. The internship gave me insight into my desire for a career in International Affairs and specifically development. The issues I was exposed to during my internship spurred me to investigate them in greater depth when back at school.

Every intern lives with a host family and works at a specific NGO. My host family was extremely welcoming and determined to feed me as much as possible. I am still in contact with them today. You will come across conditions that you may not be accustomed to like squat toilets or occasional blackouts. I was aware of these conditions before I left, so it did not bother me. Jodhpur is great city to experience a part of india. It is small enough that I did not feel overwhelmed but big enough to provide actives and places to chill out (restaurants and bars).