My time in Alabama was so fulfilling and enjoyable, not only did I get to help the Habitat for Humanity team transform and rebuild a home which was extremely challenging but I also made life long friends in the process. By the end of this tough week I learnt how to paint and lay flooring into a house but more importantly how amazing the rewards of hard work and dedication feel. I could not have survived the week of 40-degree heat without the amazing people I worked alongside, the craic was always 90, especially our day at the lake and nights by the campfire!

My internship was spent at a non-profit organisation ‘Employment Horizons’, that provides work for disabled individuals and I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend my summer. It was such a rewarding experience, every day myself, Méabh and Ita were greeted by the biggest smiles from the clients and I was truly heart broken to leave them behind. Each day we were reminded by the most friendly and welcoming staff members about how much of difference that we were making to the clients lives, even though I felt that they had made a greater impact on me. During my internship I stayed with Carol Grant, who is such a wonderful and generous person. She made us feel so welcome and a part of the family. The Grant family have been hosting Irish interns for nearly 20 years and I feel so blessed to be one of them. I cannot thank Carol enough for her hospitality and this superb summer in USA.

Having already formed strong bonds of friendship over airport games of Jack-Change-It and taking the hand out of each other’s accents, the prospect of spending a week building a house in Alabama with 21 strangers seemed slightly less daunting. It was an adventure from the start, with one half of the group landing early in Alabama after a relaxing flight from La Guardia, and the other half arriving hours later off a plane that sounded like it hadn’t had an MOT since the 1960s. We were eased in gently, with the first 2 days consisting of games of table tennis and exploring the wilderness around us; our only challenges being figuring out how to climb the top bunk without a ladder and how to navigate our way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. On Monday, the real work started as we arrived at Miss Sonia’s house. For many of us, having to assemble our Ikea flat-pack furniture at start of a new University year is a challenge, and so arriving to a building site littered with power tools and 3-story scaffolding was incredibly nerve-wracking. However, with the careful guidance and support of Barry, Brandon and Zach from the Habitat for Humanity Team, we quickly became immersed in our work and were ready to challenge ourselves. To say the work was hard would be an understatement, however the sense of pride and achievement that came with each cupboard installed, each piece of flooring laid down, every window caulked and every wall sided was indescribable. Undoubtedly the most eagerly anticipated moment of the day was lunch-break, where there was a swift sprint across the road to find the best shady spot on the grass to grab one of Gwen’s cheese and turkey toasties and a packet of Oreos. It was then back to work for the rest of the day, with a refueled determination to get as much work done as possible. We were further motivated to push ourselves after talking to Miss Sonia who told us about the hardships of life after Hurricane Sandy and showed us pictures of her house before Habitat for Humanity started their work, both of which made us realize the value of what we were doing. By the time 3pm came at the end of each blisteringly hot day, the promise of an air conditioned mini-bus and a cold shower was heaven to the ears of 22 sweaty, sun-burnt Irish students in the 37 degree heat, with talk of the “heatwave” back home in Ireland now sounding laughable. However, the phrase "all work, no play” certainly did not apply to our trip to Alabama, with our evenings consisting of swims in the river, eagerly anticipated trips to Wal-Mart (while saying hello to our cowboy friend along the way), relaxing around the campfire and a visit to the Innisfree. With such a fun-filled and packed week, our time in Alabama simply flew by. By the end of our 7 days we had so much to show for ourselves: new-found friends, a set of construction skills that we never imagined we could have developed, a greater sense of self-confidence and resilience, an amazing house to present to an amazing woman, and in my case, a bruised finger after some dodgy hammering work. All in all, it was the experience of a life time, and I feel so honored to have been a part of it.

This summer, I was given the amazing opportunity to spend 7 weeks on an internship in Greenwood Lake. Being such a home-bird, the prospect of leaving home for almost 2 months was initially very daunting, however, after talking to previous interns who spoke so fondly of their time in Greenwood Lake, this apprehension soon turned to excitement. I am currently completing a degree in Primary Teaching in St Mary's University College and so my internship involved teaching Irish music, song and dance at the Experience Ireland Summer Camps. This was such a fun and rewarding experience as it was great to see how much the children enjoyed developing new skills and embracing the Irish culture, with the closing concert in the local library proving to be a proud moment in displaying the culmination of the children's hard work over the Summer. On a professional note, this was also such a beneficial experience to me as a student teacher as it really allowed me to grow in confidence and will undoubtedly help me in the rest of my studies. However, while we put a great deal of effort into our work, we were also treated to plenty of day trips and evenings out. I was fortunate enough to be placed with the Gormley family along side 2 other interns; Ailbhe and Rachael. It was like a home away from home, as living with a Tyrone man meant that a plate of spuds and gravy was never too far away (thank God). We made frequent trips into the City, visiting: the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Brooklyn Bridge, the Rockerfeller Centre, the Irish Consulate, the Famine Memorial, Times Square and much more, while even finding time to squeeze in a Broadway show. If we weren't roaming the city or squealing our heads off at the Mountain Creek Water Park; we were swimming at the beach or having fun on the paddleboards and kayaks while taking in the amazing scenery of Greenwood Lake. Our host Una-Teresa is also in charge of the New York Rose of Tralee and so a highlight of the trip was going to Don O'Neill's studio in NYC to help the New York Rose pick out her dresses; an experience I will never forget. All in all, this has honestly been the trip of a lifetime and has given me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people who I know will be lifelong friends. I would like to say a massive thank you to the Gormley Family for making us feel so welcome, to our Co-ordinator Denis Mulcahy who was always there to leave us in awe with his amazing stories, and to all of the Project Children Team for giving me such an unforgettable summer.

When we arrived in Birmingham it was clear that most people were oblivious to what the week ahead had in store, whether that be the extremely early starts, blistering heat or the mosquito's. The working day in Alabama started with an early wake up call and a lot of grumpy Irish. The first day on the site was tough, learning about the tools we would have to use and the safety instructions that accompanied them. This resulted in the first day being more of a feeling out process with second day being the first day where real progress was seen, this despite the 37°C plus heat. After a few days of working hard on the construction site in Alabama, the house was really starting to come together and it was starting to sink in why we were putting in all this hard work. The daily visits from miss Sonia, the owner of the house, made the project even more personal, resulting in bolstered efforts from everyone as the week went on. For the majority of the week I was working on the porch, putting up the pillars, building the fencing and painting the area, along with other bits and bobs. The feeling of pride I felt upon seeing the final product was a feeling I’ll remember for a long time, a feeling I’m sure was reciprocated by everyone working on the house. This really sunk in during the blessing of the house and seeing the appreciation miss Sonia felt for all our work. Alabama wasn’t all work either, the lack of internet connectivity forced people to get to know each other to an extent which would seem inconceivable back home. This in conjunction with our trips to the lake, swimming pool and Judge Coogler’s house resulted in friendships being formed quickly leading to a tough but extremely enjoyable week. I would like to that Dennis, Dennis Jr., Al, Brendan, Gwen and Ritchie for putting together a week I'm sure that no one that was there will forget.

Once I returned to New York from Alabama I lived with Vinny McGreevy in Wantagh, Long Island. Vinny couldn’t have been a better host to Conall and me, even taking me and a few of the other interns down to Washington for a weekend. While I will miss Vinny and his dry humour, I will also miss his dogs and cats, however, not their barking at four in the morning. For the six weeks I was in New York I worked at the district office of Congressman Peter King. King, who was a key player in the peace process in Northern Ireland also becoming an extremely influential member of the House of Representatives. This became only too clear due to the fact that he was constantly on local and national news. Work mainly consisted of taking calls from constituents, helping them out with the issues they were having with federal agencies while also taking any concerns that they had. In my time working at his office I was able to receive an in-depth knowledge of American politics, especially in relation to constituency issues, understanding the local dynamics that are in play in American politics. The other staff were also extremely accommodating, constantly buying me their favourite food to try. During the rest of my time in New York, the rest of the interns and I explored the city, even going to football and baseball games. I would like to thank Vinny for being such a great host and Congressman King for giving me the opportunity to work in his office. The time I had in America was a once in a life time experience and id like to thank everyone from project children for giving me this opportunity.

There has always been this myth about America being a great-untamed wilderness. We’ve all heard the stories in countless westerns and stories of explorers and pioneers who carried babies on their backs, but I was always more than a bit sceptical. That is until we landed in Alabama. On the flight we saw snippets of what would come in the future, mountains and rivers and great-untamed forests, but it was only when we landed that it all hit me. A cabin on the outskirts of the woods was probably the best place for a city boy like myself to be introduced to nature on an American scale. Near the camp there was a creek and it didn’t take more than 5 steps along any trail to feel like you were somewhere else, in another time, exploring a new continent. A few days after work we went to a river, felt more like a sea to me but everyone called it a river. It was impressive, framed on both sides by mountains that would put the Mourns to shame, wide enough that not even the most reckless joked about swimming to the other side and warm enough that no one flinched from dipping their shoulders under. It was some river. But not all of nature was as enjoyable as this swim. The weather was unpredictable, every night there was rain and every day there was thunder. This wasn’t Irish rain that would chill your bones. You were grateful for this rain; it cooled you down and washed the sweat from you. One night we were sitting on the steps outside, talking about nothing in particular. We saw the sky split into two by lightning, the one flash but a blanket instead of a bolt. So wide we could see nothing else for a second and half thought there was a war in heaven. Quickly retreating back inside we felt thunder in our hearts rather than hearing it. Denver is a city in tune with nature. Hiker, skiers and explorers are not seen as a seen as oddballs here, instead they’re the norm. Anthony, my host has climbed all 53 14,000 feet mountains in Colorado. If you don’t know how high 14,000 feet is, Croagh Patrick is the tallest mountain in Ireland and is only 2,500 feet, so it’s pretty high. I couldn’t leave Colorado without experiencing a hike for myself. We decided to go up Bear Peak, a relatively short, easy climb to ease us into it. Fortunately there were no bears on it so I really shouldn’t have been as worried as I was of running into one, although we did see a few snakes. The hardest part of the climb was the start, telling your body that this is what we’re doing and we’re going to finish it. There was no chance I was giving up even if I did see a grizzly on the path in front of us. After we got into a rhythm things got easier, even if we were being overtaken by joggers, children and dogs. Eventually the tree started to thin and we were left with stunning views of the Rockies and Denver and we happened upon wild raspberry bushes. The berries were small, but I’ve never tasted sweeter. After a little over 2 hours of hiking we reached the summit, expecting the views to be jaw dropping, we were amazed by something else entirely. At that moment clouds began to descend on the summit and we were engulfed. We saw the cloud curve around boulders like they were rocks dropped in a stream and we felt the damp of the cloud on our skin. Still it didn’t take away from the feeling that we had summited a mountain, the adrenaline coursed through me and I simply had to stand on the highest rock. Actually stand in the sky and feel the achievement. The descent was just as challenging and eventful but Bear Peak will not be the last mountain that I climb.

The week spent in Tuscaloosa with all the other interns was one I will never forget. Due to the fact there was no wifi available at the camp, we were all able to bond as a group quite quickly. It was refreshing to be able to get to know everyone without having our heads buried in our phones and social media 24/7. On site with Habitat, I was given the task of working on the porch area of the house with Brendan (a habitat volunteer) and two other interns. It was the first time any of us had ever worked with power tools but with Brendans help we were able to get into the swing of things. By the end of the week we had built and painted the porch. We were all filled with a great sense of achievement and pride when the house was finally presented to the owner. It made all the hard work in the scorching Alabama heat truly worthwhile. Over the course of one week, I managed to learn valuable life lessons, lend a helping hand to those in need and gain lifelong friends. I can safely say it was one of the best and most rewarding experiences I have ever had.

For my internship I was placed in the IT department of MSA security in New York. The firm’s headquarters was situated in lower Manhattan, right next to the World Trade Centre and Brooklyn Bridge. This gave me the opportunity to visit many of the sights and attractions on my lunch break and after work. I was extremely fortunate to be able to experience the hustle and bustle of the city on a daily basis and always took advantage of my time there. In IT I worked on a variety of different projects and tasks each day which kept the job interesting and challenging. In the office, I would assist my colleagues in resolving tickets that were submitted to our helpdesk. These tickets consisted of issues ranging from software installations, software troubleshooting, image deployment, machine building and inventory management. Other duties included the manipulation of databases using sharepoint in order to improve the companies IT support and customer service. I also had the chance to work on jobs out of office in locations such as the Empire State Building, Lincoln Square and various hotels across the city. In these duties I was required to install metal detectors and x-ray machines for movie premieres and security checkpoints. This was an extremely rewarding part of the job and gave me a hands on opportunity to see how the companies SmartTech software worked on site to secure high profile venues.

Employment Horizons is a workshop that provides employment for adults with disabilities that may struggle to find “normal” jobs and also supports those who do find jobs out in their communities. Having had no previous experience working with disabled adults I wasn’t sure what to expect but can honestly say I had an amazing time, as Sharon, one of the supervisors said “they show us how we’re all supposed to live everyday, they live in the moment always laughing with no worries”, and they really did make me smile every day. Ford, the director, threw us into the deep end on the very first week having Katie and I cover for Marge, another supervisor, who was on vacation that week. We hadn’t a clue what we were doing but quickly learnt as the week went on, it can be a lot of pressure but teaches you so much in such a short space of time. It’s taught me how to run a workshop and developed so many of my skills, I’ll miss all the amazing people I met in Employment Horizons but I am so thankful for the experience!

Little did I know stepping onto the flight in Shannon was going to change my life forever. I was both nervous and excited heading off to the States for the summer, I had never been to America so I was looking forward to seeing what the beautiful country had to offer. After taking the flight I knew I was in for a great summer having met two of the other interns Colm and Conor, after just a 6 hour flight it felt like the 4 of us had been friends for ages, I knew if all the interns were like them there would be no fear of me for the summer! We arrived in JFK on Friday evening at about 16:30 where we were greeted by the man himself Denis Mulcahy and Sam Gormley. We also met 3 other interns, Colleen, Rachael and Anna we set off for GWL for what was going to be a summer of a life time. After a long 4 hours of being stuck in traffic in the city we finally made it to Greenwood Lake at 22:30, to say we were shattered was an understatement. We were kindly welcomed to a BBQ at the Waterstone Inn where we met the Mulcahy family, The Gormleys and more of the locals. We went home and got organised for Alabama and we set off at 5am on Saturday morning. We travelled to Newark airport to start the journey to Tusculoosca Alabama to work with Habitat for Humanity. We met the notorious Al de Benedictis and 3 more interns, Ita, Meabh and Katie. We set off for a long days travelling and finally reached Alabama at 3. We stayed in YMCA camp with Habitat for Humanity. We were the first bus to arrive and a few hours later a bus with the rest of the interns arrived, we all introduced ourselves and started to get to know each other. On the Saturday evening we had a BBQ and went to a local church to watch the Project Children documentary "How to defuse a bomb". On Sunday morning we had the option to go to a Catholic Church or non-denominational church. I chose to go to the non-denominational one for the experience, and I wasn't sorry I did. We were greeted at the church with coffee and donuts, which immediately was a bonus! From the beginning of the ceremony to the end it was both fun and interesting, there was singing for the whole ceremony and the whole congregation was included. After mass we went to Wal-Mart to get snacks and clothes to work in for the week, unsurprisingly the majority of us came out having spent our first week’s stipend. We were brought to a local river, which was more like a lake, where we spent the afternoon cooling down and getting to know each other some more. In the evening after dinner we met with some of the workers from Habitat for Humanity and they gave us some information about the organisation and what work we would be doing for the week. On Monday morning we set off for the site and went to Mrs Sonia's house for the first time. We met the construction crew, Zach, Barry and Brandon who gave us an introduction and safety demo. We were then split into groups of different jobs to do on site. I was part of the siding crew where we had to screw planks of fibre cement into the sides of the house. I had never done work like this before so I was excited to get stuck into it. It was tough at the start but after a while I was a natural. After a tough week with stifling heat and 20 drained interns the results of the house was amazing. I was honoured to have been part of the experience and help contribute to Mrs. Sonia who had been so unfortunate in the past having had to spend rainy days in her car because her house was leaking throughout. It's safe to say I will be forever grateful to Denis and Pat Mulcahy and everyone involved with Project children as I feel this week in Alabama has made me appreciate life more and be grateful for what I have. I feel been given this opportunity has helped shape me as a person and change my perspective and outlook on life forever.

The first week of our trip was spent in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This was one of the most memorable weeks of the whole trip for various reasons, firstly this is where we all got to know each other very well and really where we all became friends. The craic that we had at the camp was unbelievable with going for little adventure walks in the surrounding area or the pure excitement of getting to go to Wal-Mart. Although these are all great things the best was getting to work on the house. I’ll just say this before coming to project children I never believed I’d be up on a scaffolding and soffiting a house, mostly because I’m scared of heights and not particularly good with tools. However, Katie, Kathryn, Chris and myself managed to learn how to do it and also how to best dodge the sun, which was brutal. After the work was done a lot of the day we went up to a Lake to cool of and one day was even spent at Alabama university swimming pool, which was more like a water park than a pool. As the week went on Colleen, Katelin and I started doing the siding of the house, the craic was great and we decided the group needed a name so we settled on the side chicks, I think the name is a product of heat stroke but we ended up loving it. The most exciting thing on the building site was when we seen the car pull up that had lunch in it, the toasties every day were great! Overall this week was an amazing experience not only did we bond as a group but we all got to help out someone in need.

I was lucky because I got two internships, on Mondays I was at the labour council and the rest of he week was spent at Thea Bowman house. Firstly the labour council, I had no idea what to expect but I know I was not expecting to have quite as much fun. The only other person in the office was Enesa and we literally couldn’t have got on better! Not only was it quality craic I learned how to work in an office environment, which I’d never done before and it has help to take away some of the worry about doing my own placement for my social work degree. For the rest of the week I was at the Thea Bowman house, which I loved as well. I got to do a range of jobs between the two centres. The first one that I was in for the longest was the centre with the younger children, my class the bears where from 3-5 years old and the teacher Ms Kim was incredible with the kids. The kids where hilarious even if there was a temper tantrum in every once and a while! The next centre I spent about a week at and this was mostly spent with the kindergarten kids, although I did get to work with the social worker on site Mrs Darleen, who all the kids loved. Each day we brought the kids to the pool and I went into the pool with them, they loved learning how to float and kick their leafs and our favourite game had to be tag. I’m very grateful for this experience and the 6 weeks flew by so quick between loving both the places where I worked and also the family I’m staying with!

Our initial week began in Tuscalossa, Alabama. Upon arrival it was vividly clear how everyone on the program had no prior relationship with each other. The nerves and soft-spoken nature of the group were extremely apparent, however with the lack of wi-fi, social media and other technological distractions, it was amazing how everyone’s attitudes began to change throughout the week. Each of us got to know one another as both a group and as individuals. The demanding activities of the worksite for the Habitat for Humanity program encouraged team work and social interaction which quickly allowed for personal friendships to develop. The on-site coordinator for our team was Sam and Brendan, whose patience and knowledge allowed us to quickly learn new skills and experience how different the construction methods and style of design are in a much harsher climate than Irelands. As an architecture student there is nothing more beneficial than being able to obtain international construction experience first-hand. The workdays started early, however there was still no escape from the heat. Everyone struggled in their mission to hide from the sun under the scaffolding or indoors. Although despite the heat, as the project continued to progress to the final stages everyone developed a great sense of pride and ownership in the work they had done. Also, the fact that this project was for the benefit of a person who had been affected by a natural disaster was simply just so rewarding as a person and an architect.

Internship - BHC Architects My time with BHC Architects was extremely beneficial. Being able to experience how an American architecture firm functions and be a part of its on-going projects will benefit my future career greatly. I had the privilege of working on several projects, mainly large scale residential/town master plans under the supervision of Michael Sargent. I was quickly brought up to speed with the current projects going on in the office and was even assisted in using new software’s. The work was fast paced and demanding as project deadlines were set each week. However, with detailed instruction and teamwork, all deadlines were constantly met. The other intern Michael and I could not have been luckier to have gotten Vinny as our host family for the duration of the program. We stayed with Vinny in Wantagh, Long Island approximately an hour outside of Manhattan. His generosity and humour made our trip an unforgettable experience and we are making sure he visits us In Ireland in the future. One of the greatest experiences we had was our trip to Washington DC. Vinny took six of the interns for the weekend and organized a personal tour of the Capital building and showed us the other points of interest which for me was amazing to experience the historical and architectural relevance of the Capital of the USA. Being able to submerse myself in American culture as well as work and volunteer in an entirely unique country has been a fantastic opportunity that I am truly thankful to have been a part of. You could come to New York yourself 100 times and not be able to get the same experiences that we did with Project Children and for that I will never forget.

One of the best parts of the Alabama trip for me was the hard work and construction. I really enjoyed physically building a part of the house and working alongside our Project Children group and the habitat for humanity crew. The job I remained in throughout the week was the siding of the house- it was very hard work but, it was great to see the progress we made as days went by. It was an experience in itself to use power tools! We actually managed to complete the siding and it looked fantastic; the long hours in the sun had really paid off. By the end of the week, we were so exhausted, the majority of us turned to painting. Throughout our time there we got to know more about each other, bonding over campfires and games, however, this only made it harder to leave everyone for our internships at the end.

After the week of working at Habitat for Humanity, I began my internship at Turning Stone Resort Casino in the Events team. Throughout the weeks I was involved in various events such as volunteering at the annual employee picnic, helping to run casino slot tournaments and organizing guest parties. I was also fortunate to be there to help celebrate their 25th anniversary, assisting with VIP dinners, gift giveaways and cupcake distribution. I was amazed by the history of the Oneida Nation and its progression from a single bingo Hall in 1993 to a multi-million dollar organization employing 5000 25 years on. My experience overall gave me an insight into the American working culture and how much planning and preparation goes into running such events. Beyond my internship, Sophie and I had the honour of experiencing American life with two wonderful host families: Julie & Chris Matt and Georgette & Kevin Crawford. Our time was packed with trips to Destiny Mall, paddle boarding, Bloc and graduation parties and even bartending at On the Rocks bar. They all made us feel like we were home away from home. I am extremely grateful to my host families, the events team at Turning Stone and Project Children for a truly incredible experience.

I have heard from previous interns how life changing this experience would be, but it was even more than I expected. The week in Alabama was really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I have so many memories and friendships from that trip that I’ll cherish for life. The supervisors from both Project Children and Habitat for Humanity could not have set a better example for us all and we all look up to each one of them. I know we have all left with some more role models in our life. I never thought it was possible to miss a bunch of strangers so much after only a week of knowing them, or that a random collection of 21 young people from Ireland could come together to make such a great impact on someone’s life, but this program has shown me that both are possible. On the work site, everyone was roasting in the Alabama heat, all clothes were saturated with a combination of sweat and ice cold water, and faces were red from the sun and exhaustion. There was something extremely humbling about a group of strangers seeing you in your worst possible state on a daily basis. The bonds and friendships that were borne of these testing conditions were incomparable to anything I had ever experienced. After the life changing experience that was Alabama, I didn’t think anything could match it, but after 6 weeks living and working with the Smith family I realise I was wrong.

Matt Snr, Michelle, Matt Jnr and Brendan could not have been more welcoming and accommodating, and I can happily say that the friendships I have formed with them are as strong and lasting as those I made in Alabama. The whole family were adamant to show me as much of America as possible (often described as “Americana” by Matt Snr) and that they did! From rodeos, pick-up trucks, fried Twinkies, country music concerts and county fairs to Manhattan, Long Island, Philadelphia and central New Jersey, I really got to see everything America has to offer! Big shout out to Matt Jnr who housed and fed me during my stay in America. He wasn’t expecting to have to look after a random Irish guy for 6 weeks, but he did a fantastic job and I couldn’t have asked for a better host, and I’ll certainly miss his company when I return to Ireland.

Everyday at work, Matt Snr ensured I had something to do. Best of all, it was all important and relevant tasks, and I really felt like I was contributing to the work of the office. Matt placed a lot of trust in my abilities, often much more than I felt I deserved. But with Matt’s guidance and advice I feel like I was able to complete every task to the best of my abilities, and I am very proud of everything I have achieved. I also had the opportunity to accompany Matt Jnr to a trial and an arbitration, as well as watching Matt Snr take a deposition, all of which gave me a unique and personal insight into the American legal system. Everyone in the firm made sure I felt like part of the team, and they all went out of their way to make me feel included. On my second last day there, there was an after-work party for everyone in the office, which really gave me a chance to bond with the colleagues even more. I’m going to miss all the craic from the office so much, as everyone got along so well. Like many fields these days, it is not easy to get into law back home. Nearly every law firm expects you to have prior office experience. Over the past year, multiple firms have told me that they would be interested in me re-applying in future after I have some office experience. I know that this internship will be invaluable for me securing a job, and I will undoubtedly stand out from the crowd with my experience of working in a law firm in New Jersey, representing some of the biggest insurance companies in the country. Not only this, my time at Bruno, Gerbino & Soriano has also given me a new confidence in myself and my abilities, and I am very grateful to Matt Snr for putting his trust in me to carry out tasks that I had no prior experience with. At the beginning, I was very hesitant about starting new tasks, but by the end Matt Snr had given me enough confidence that I was ready to tackle any task he had for me. I had a summer that could never be matched, and I’ll most certainly be returning to Ireland with a new perspective on life. So many of the people, including all the supervisors, the whole Smith family and everyone who donates to the program, are just genuine, good-hearted people who want to help out strangers. All of us on this program have received such a great kindness, and I hope we all get a chance to replicate it in the future. I can never express my thanks or gratitude to all those involved, but I hope I am able to pass the kindness on. I know I will certainly be opening my house for the Smith family any time they need, they really are some of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. All in all, I am so proud and grateful to be a part of something so special.