When we arrived in Alabama I had no idea how much fun we were going to have over the course of the next week. On our first night we watched the Project Children Documentary, which gave a great insight into the history of the programme and how lucky we were to be a part of it. On our first day on the job site there was nothing but a slab of concrete and some timber ready to be put together, but by the end of the day we were already making huge progress with the house. Working on the roof all week was great fun and is an experience I will never forget. The week in Alabama was one of the most enjoyable parts of my entire Project Children experience. I would like to thank Denis, Denis Jr., Maureen, Sam, Brendan, Ritchie, Al and Bróna for a great week on the site and on the camp, with plenty of laughs the whole time. We also had some great trips while in Alabama, going to the lake, the swimming pool and an Irish Bar, which were great after a hard day’s work. Once we arrived back to New York, Steven, Darrell and I were staying with Vinny McGreevy. Vinny couldn’t have been a better host. From our first night staying with him to the last, he was the most generous person I’ve ever met and went above and beyond to make our stay the best it could be. Vinny even took eight of the other interns and I to Washington for the weekend and on another trip to Philadelphia. I will really miss Vinny and how much fun we had staying with him There was never a dull moment. For my internship I spent the next six weeks in the district office of Congressman Peter King. Peter King made a huge contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland and is still extremely interested in Irish affairs. My work mainly consisted of taking calls from constituents, helping them with the issues they were having with federal agencies and discussing any concerns that they had. I would like to thank Congressman King and everyone else in the office for making my internship incredibly enjoyable. I would also like to thank everyone from Project Children for giving me the opportunity to have an unforgettable summer!

Our first week in the USA was spent in hot and humid Alabama. I, like most of the interns, did not know what to expect in Tuscaloosa. It turned out to be an indelible experience. When we first arrived we explored the campsite which was our home for the week. The campsite turned out to be the perfect place for camaraderie as all of the interns and leaders quickly became friends. From the campsite we drove to the building site every day. We enjoyed the leaders’ stories and banter on every journey. Steven in MSA Security’s Manhattan office Under the expert tutelage of the habitat for humanity workers, interns with no construction experience grew accustomed to using power tools as we set out to build a house together. I spent most of the week working on the walls. Transforming planks of wood into four sturdy walls for a home was gratifying. The progress we made in the space of a week was astounding. Also, attending the dedication of a completed home made all our efforts feel worth while. However, it was not all work and no play in Alabama. During the week we visited Capstone Church. On the first visit we were greeted warmly and served a delicious southern buffet. We were then showed a documentary in the main hall of the church called “How to defuse a bomb: The Project Children story”. The documentary took us through the history of the project and told us all the successes and struggles the program has gone through. On our second visit to Capstone Church we took part in the Sunday morning worship gathering. We all felt welcomed and were treated like members of the church family. We also relaxed during the evenings by swimming in the lake and the University of Alabama swimming pool. Swimming was the perfect way to cool down and relax after the hard work on the site. Towards the end of the week we enjoyed a night out in Innisfree, an Irish pub frequented by college students and legal professionals. A good night was had by all due to Innisfree’s relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Alabama was the experience of a lifetime and it was a privilege to spend time in the state. I would like to thank Denis Mulcahy and the other leaders for the opportunity. After Alabama we headed north to New York for our internships. I interned as an accountant for 6 weeks at MSA Security’s New York Headquarters located on Murray Street, Manhattan. MSA is a great firm to work for and the finance team in particular had a friendly and professional atmosphere. The firm has many Irish-Americans employees and they were keen to discuss the Project Children Program with me. The work involved auditing accounts on MSA’s NetSuite system, reviewing legal and business documents, appraising fixed assets and perusing bills. During my internship I developed Microsoft Office skills and team working skills that will prove invaluable to my future career. One of the highlights of my time at MSA were the weekly coffee talks. The coffee talks were presentations taken by managers and directors covering an array of topics from dogs to patented technological security systems. The coffee talks gave my fellow interns and I a much broader understanding of the firm and how the security industry as a whole operates. During the coffee talks the managers and directors also imparted advice on becoming employable after university. As a part of the MSA intern program MSA took the interns and some full time employees for a tour of the Staten Island Ferry. MSA have a contract with the Ferry and monitor the ports 24 hours a day to ensure customer safety. It was interesting to see colleagues on the “front line” even though we had to endure the 90- plus degree heat! Another highlight was the finance team’s trip to the dog training facility in Windsor Connecticut. After being informed about dog training in coffee talks and brochures it was great to see firsthand how the Labradors are taught to detect numerous types of explosive substances. One of the advantages of being based in Manhattan was the abundant lunch options. On my first day the finance team had a “welcome lunch” for new interns and ordered pizza. During the following weeks I enjoyed a wide variety of lunches with my colleagues from salads to subs. No review of my time in New York would be complete without mentioning my host Vinny McGreevy. Vinny hosted myself and two fellow interns at his home in Wantagh. He has been a Project Children host for over a decade. I am grateful for his hospitality and his wit which made our stay in New York very enjoyable.

Waking up at 4:30am, I was extremely tired yet excited to meet everyone I would be travelling to America with. All my nerves completely disappeared once I met with everyone, chatting the whole way down to Dublin airport! The week in Alabama was definitely one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences. Working in the Southern heat was something I could never have prepared myself or my pale Irish skin for. However, working as a team and seeing our progress from day to day was a huge motivation. We got the chance to attend a dedication for a family whose house had been destroyed in a tornado, which really put into perspective how life changing our hard work had been. Our breaks from working on the site included trips to the lake, campfires and a well-deserved night out to the local Irish pub, not to mention the anticipated 2 hour trips to Walmart, much to the coordinators delight. We had all bonded so much during the week that saying goodbye to everyone at the airport was tougher than I had imagined, but we all kept in touch through our snapchat group and facetime. Then myself and Bridget were off to Upstate New York to work at Turning Stone Resort and Casino as part of the Events Team. Working at the casino was an incredible experience in which I got to help out at a variety of events including VIP golf tournaments, host parties and gift giveaways to name a few. We also got to attend the grand opening of the Sports Book which was attended by the CEO Ray Halbritter, politicians and local press and media. It was amazing to work behind the scenes at the events and also witness the amount of work that goes into creating an event, from the idea stage to marketing to data analysis. There was never a boring day in the office as each day was completely different, meeting various people and working towards future events for the resort. Of course none of this could have happened without the support from our incredible coordinator Pat and our host families. I had the opportunity to stay with two families, John and Sue in Syracuse and Dan and Marie in Utica, who made us feel like part of the family from the get go and helped adjust us into the American way of life. They both went out of their way to plan activities for us, taking us to parties, lakes, water parks and Destiny Mall (the biggest mall in New York State). We also spent a weekend in Long Island over the fourth of July were we visited Manhattan and a weekend camping at the Great American Irish Festival. I would like to thank all of Project Children for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Alabama was a fantastic and incredibly unique experience! I really enjoyed getting to know everyone, learning new skills and being immersed in a completely new culture. As soon as we arrived, we were introduced to the extremes of Alabama weather, swimming in the local lake and the wonders of Walmart. The screening of the documentary at Capstone Church was incredibly thought provoking and instilled a strong sense of perspective within the group, highlighting the profound impact of the Project Children program on its participants and the wider international community. The hospitality provided by Pastor Jeremy and the Capstone Church community was a fantastic start to our time in Alabama and I can’t thank them enough for their kindness. During our week with Habitat for Humanity we were thrown in at the deep end, with Brandon and the Habitat team putting us to work straight away. Within the first day, we had successfully built the entire skeleton of the house. By the end of the week, we had completed the roof and framed all of the walls in preparation for subcontractors. Considering none of us had done anything like this before, I was incredibly proud of our achievements as a group! At the start of the week all that was there was the foundations of the house and it was wonderful to witness the visible progress we made. Looking back on this week, it has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding weeks to date, but I have enjoyed every minute. We were constantly reminded of the importance of our work and it was truly humbling to see the gratitude of our homeowner and the entire Habitat team in Tuscaloosa. I would like to thank all of the staff at Habitat for Humanity and Project Children for making this week so amazing and memorable.

Having heard from previous interns about their experiences in Alabama, I was keen to experience it for myself. When we arrived in Alabama, we were just a group of strangers, but by the end of the week strong friendships were built. Our first night was spent experiencing real southern hospitality and sampling traditional BBQ, all provided by Pastor Jeremy and Capstone Church. This was followed by a screening of the Project Children documentary which not only set the tone for the next week but for the intern program on the whole. The next morning, we went to Capstone, which offers non-denominational services. It was interesting as Catholic and a theology student to experience something outside of the Catholic tradition. It was also nice to share in a service with people of interns from different backgrounds, an idea that is so foreign back home. Kyle at the University of Colorado Odhrán working hard at Community Food Share On the Monday we got to work on what was just a concrete slab when we arrived; by the time we eft we had constructed a house as far as we could without the help of licensed contractors. Brandon and Zach were always on hand to show us interns how to use the power tools and direct us on how the house should be planned out. We built the walls, lined the walls, constructed a roof, and put in windows and doors. All this was done in just five days, despite being hindered by an impromptu storm on the Thursday afternoon. While building this house we also balanced adding the finishing touches to a house across town in Tuscaloosa where the tasks consisted of landscaping, laying grass and cleaning. When we were not out on the worksite, most of our time was spent back at camp bonding over dinner, sitting around a campfire, or attempting to play American Football. When it came time to separate from the group and head to Colorado from my internship, I was not only excited about the adventure and experience that lay ahead but also thankful for the week that I had just had. The experience was as beneficial to Tuscaloosa as it was to the interns; for as much as we gave, we were rewarded back in experience, skills, and strong relationships.

Thanks to Project Children, the summer I spent working and living in New York was an incredible and memorable one. The first week was spent building a home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which was such a rewarding experience knowing the aid being provided was going towards a family in desperate need after the disaster of Catherine with officers from Yonkers Police 3rd Precinct of the tornado. Knowing this, we were motivated to keep making progress despite the scorching southern heat. The week of Alabama was undoubtedly one of the best, where everyone bonded together so quickly. A massive thanks to the Habitat team for making it a challenging yet memorable week for everyone. I was given the opportunity to spend my summer living in Woodlawn and interning at the Aisling Centre. I was instantly welcomed with open arms into the team at the Aisling Centre, and because of this, every day was enjoyable. The Aisling Centre is an amazing resource for the Irish-American community, supporting individuals seeking employment, accommodation, legal and immigration advice, and counselling services. I mainly worked alongside Eugene in the children’s summer camp, teaching them the basics of traditional Irish heritage and music through rhymes and tunes, and encouraging them to interact through Irish dancing. I believe my experience at the Aisling Centre will be highly beneficial in hand with my Criminology degree, as I was able to witness first-hand how children interact and to understand different factors that may influence their behavior. Alongside gaining valuable experience working with children, I was given the opportunity to participate in the Feeding the Homeless program by serving sandwiches and hot drinks to the homeless living on the harsh streets of New York City. Participating in this program was a real eye-opener and a highly rewarding experience which expanded my compassion for others in a new way as they were incredibly appreciative. Our time off on the weekends and evenings were spent exploring what the city has to offer, and mainly in Ned Devine’s Irish bar. While 7 weeks in a different country sounds extremely daunting, my time in America flew by, and if I could stay longer I so would. Very quickly all us interns became so close and have bonded so well during our trip, therefore countless memories were made together in Manhattan, Washington D.C., Long Island, and Greenwood Lake. This experience would have never been possible without Denis and the rest of the Mulcahy family, who went above and beyond to make our trip one to remember, and I’m extremely thankful and grateful.

My time in America is drawing to a close and soon I will be flying back to Belfast and heading home to Strabane. This year I will graduate from my Law LLB at Queens university and this trip has been something that will definitely secure me a position at home so that I have a graduate job when I return. This has been such an unbelievable experience from the people I have met along the way to the truly inspirational people who have created and added their own personal touch to the program over the years. 35 years ago to this exact time my mum and her four brothers were taken away from the chaos of the troubles and got to escape to a sunny Philadelphia thanks to the amazing and devoted members of this program and I never would have dreamed that some day I too would have been able to make the same journey. It was a long wait and a few applications later but I got the once in a life time chance to come out to America to live and work and amazingly meet some of the most genuine and hilarious people I have ever met in my life. The first day was a shock to the system with the warm weather in Alabama and meeting the people I would spend the next 7 weeks speaking to and spending literally all my time with. I soon got to know everyone and can honestly say I have ever experienced feeling so welcomed and a like a true part of a team in my life. All the coordinators’ and interns work together like a family, and its been like that right through the full time. I’ve always had a member of the team I could turn to for literally any need, question or even stupid thought I might have. We had late nights and early mornings working in sweltering heat and you soon forget completely about whatever pride you have in your appearance and you get properly immersed into the building site life, but you do it as a team. We spent every single second in close quarters and I would never have wanted to change that for the world. Maureen, Denis and Gwen had us stuffed with food morning, noon and night and gave us the 5-star treatment as we all pitched in and did our bit with kitchen duties. It’s hard to put into words how much I truly loved and am grateful for the entire experience of Alabama and the interns that were some of the best people that treated me like a friend they had known for years. I’ll cherish that experience for the rest of my life. There is something so special and close to my heart about following in my family’s footsteps and doing this program and meeting the heroes that don’t get anywhere enough recognition for all they do. Richie, Sam, Maureen, Denis Jnr., Brendan, Al, Pat, Denis and this year Bróna (and everyone else involved) these people work tirelessly amongst their everyday lives and they make dreams come true for others. The Project children team don’t ask for anything in return and they give us literally everything you could have ever wished for with this experience. It’s hard to believe that there are such good people in this world but this team are the best of the best. The full trip from start to finish was smooth and effortless (even with an unexpected cancelled flight and the quick thinking of Maureen to get a way back from Georgia). I worked for the rest of my time in Bruno Gerbino Soriano (New Jersey) which was an interesting experience and allowed me to put a large number of my skills into practice such as ADR and negotiation when Courtney in the office at Bruno Gerbino Soriano witnessing arbitrations and mediations in practice. From working on real cases, to helping the local people from the area, it has been great to get such professional and rewarding experience whilst being able to travel on my time off and be with the rest of the interns. During my time here I got to go to the original site of Woodstock, twice, on the 50th anniversary of the original festival, which was completely unbelievable. I got to visit both New York and Philadelphia city as well as live the high life out in Greenwood Lake on the weekends. We were treated like royalty the full time in Greenwood lake, between Sam and Unateresa making literal 5-star meals to Denis taking us out on the boat across the lake, to doing yoga on the beach with the sun splitting the trees, this will be a summer to remember. On my days off my host family took us hiking twice which allowed me to see between 25-30 different waterfalls on the way and I also got to go to my first ever baseball game. Today (as I’m writing this on the 2nd of August 2019) we have convinced the host families son to take us to Scranton to fan girl over the locations where the US Office tv show was filmed. I can’t begin to explain just how thankful I am for this full trip and how much this means to me to follow in my mother’s footsteps with an experience that she often talked about when I was growing up. I have had such a great time with amazing people I now call my friends and hope to keep in touch with as the trip really encourages you to make meaningful bonds. Thank you to Denis and the founders of Project children for an unbelievable 43 years of making peoples dreams come true.

The first week of our internship spent in Alabama was an unforgettable experience. On the first day I got to work in the warehouse where myself and five other girls worked on building the saferoom. It was hard, sweaty work and us girls had sweated off our fake tan within a few hours. The next few days I spent building the roof of the house. I really enjoyed this part as I never expected myself to be standing on top of a roof using a nail gun or a circular saw in the deep South in 40 degree heat but there I was and I loved every minute of it. Helping put that last roof sheet on the last day was so rewarding knowing that all my hard word over the week had actually paid off. Zach and Brandon from the Habitat team were so helpful they always had a smiley face every morning at 8am. I was also amazed at how hands on the coordinators were in the building. These older men were even more hard working than us interns. Project Children has always been something I heard of growing up as my mum was in the original program when it first began and getting to watch the documentary of how the organization started up and all the things they encountered over the years was amazing. It really put it into perspective what our parents experienced growing up and how lucky we are to never have to experience the troubles. While in Alabama we also got to go swimming in a nearby lake, trips to Walmart, we had a campfire one of the nights and we all got really close over the week. It was upsetting saying goodbye to everyone that last day in the airport but we had already planned to see each other again soon. I was placed in Woodlawn in the Bronx with John and Breda. Niamh on a job site in Manhattan John and Breda are both from Cork, their house was jam packed with Tayto cheese and onion crisps and digestives. Both John and Breda are such wonderful people they made me feel so welcome and they were people I could go to if I had any issues or anything bothering me. Breda is passionate about running and was always telling me about her upcoming runs and marathons, John was always cracking jokes and putting a smile on my face and they both made me feel right at home. Staying in Woodlawn was an amazing experience, it was a little Irish community, everyone was wearing GAA tops and there were tricolors everywhere - it felt as if I never left Belfast. Myself and the other two girls who were in Woodlawn with me visited Manhattan during the week after work as it was only half an hour away on the train. We got to go shopping and see all the sights. We visited Chinatown and women would whisper Gucci? Prada? They had every fake you could ask for and the girls and I had a good laugh. Right beside Chinatown was Little Italy and we had one of the best carbonaras I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. One of the sightseeing days we planned, we took the Staten Island Ferry and got to see the Statue of Liberty at sunset. Going to the top of the Rockefeller Centre was beautiful and the views were just breathtaking. Each weekend we would try to get out of the city to travel. We got to visit the interns staying in Greenwood Lake where we rode in the back of a pickup truck, went kayaking, paddle boarding and swimming in the lake. It truly felt like a real American summer. Another weekend was spent in Washington DC. Vinny (One of the host dads) took us down for the weekend. I got to see the White House and the Lincoln Memorial and it was definitely a very memorable part of our trip. The last day in Washington DC, I dragged everyone to the Space museum which the other girls weren’t amused about but I ran about like a child looking at all the different NASA equipment. The visit we planned to Long Island was one of the more relaxing trips as everything else was all go. We lay on the beach all day and had a splash about in the sea. Terrie (one of the host mums) let us stay in her RV. Any night at the weekend that we didn’t have any trips planned was spent in Ned’s, Clarke’s, and Behan’s - the best Irish pubs in Woodlawn, all only five minutes’ walk from my front door, the drinks were so cheap and so strong, perfect for three Irish girls. I got the opportunity to intern in Structure Tech. I study aerospace engineering at university and once I finish I want to get a job in CAD (Computer Aided Design) engineering and that’s exactly what I got to do this summer. I was given my own little office space and got to work on helping to design different buildings. One of the buildings I got to help design is called Powerhouse Arts and it’s going to be made into an Art Museum/Workshop in Brooklyn where anyone can go to and can take classes in pottery or painting or use it as a workplace for them to make their art. Its opening in 2020 and it’s exciting to know that I can go visit and know that I helped make it happen. Overall, my summer spent in America was truly a memorable experience I made lifelong friends and amazing memories, and I cannot thank the people that made Project Children happen enough for everything they’ve done over the years and for the opportunity they have gave me.

I was so excited to get to the airport and start my time in America. When we arrived in JFK, Denis met the other interns and I at the airport, we got into his car and made the long journey to Greenwood Lake. The next morning, we left bright and early and headed for the airport. After getting off our third plane in three days, we were delighted to be met at the airport in Birmingham by Pat, Richie and Gwen. They picked us up in two large mini-vans and brought us to YAcres camp in Tuscaloosa which would be our home for the next week. We got an opportunity to explore the camp and get to know the other interns. We then went for a meal hosted by Pastor Jeremy from the Capstone Church in Alabama and his family. There was a feast waiting for us when we arrived at the church with loads of southern delicacies such as brisket and sweet tea. As the saying goes “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, I tried both and they were delicious. After the meal and with full bellies, we watched the documentary “How to Defuse a Bomb: The Project Children Story”. It was so interesting to get a full understanding of the significance of the Project Children program and the role that Denis played in fostering the peace process. When the documentary was over, we all got back into the mini-vans and went back to the camp and after an early morning, I was only fit for bed. The next morning, we attended a service in Capstone Church. It was really interesting and the music was really good. Monday morning, we went to the worksite for the first time. We started with a safety presentation by the Habitat for Humanity workers and quickly got down to work. At the start of the week, I was a little nervous about using the power tools but was soon enough using the mitre saw and up on the roof. As all the interns were pushed outside their comfort zones, we were all forced to depend on each other which made us trust one another and helped to build friendships. By the end of the week, we were all so happy with the house and the work we had done. It proved to us that if we apply ourselves in any situation, we can complete it. After our week in Alabama and our goodbyes were said, I spent my internship working in Greenwood Lake for USG Performing Arts, working on Marketing and IT. It was my job to promote the New York Rose of Tralee Center on social media and create and design a website for the center. At the start I found this a daunting task, but I applied the lessons that I had learned in Alabama and the website quickly began to take shape with a lot of help from Andrew. I had to interview the 2019 New York Rose Elena Evangelou and Don O Neill, Irish fashion designer for the website. I also spent a lot of time fundraising for New York Rose of Tralee center. I stayed with Sam, Unateresa and Shea Gormley while on my internship. Two other interns, Andrew and Patricia, stayed with the Gormley's as well and we soon became a big family. Outside of the internship, I did lots with the other interns. The kayaks were rarely seen on dry land in Greenwood Lake and we made a few trips to New York City to see the sights. A highlight for me was getting to go onto the set of a musical in New York - it blew my mind. The best summer of my life wouldn’t be possible without the help of everyone who got me here. A huge thank you to Denis, Miriam, Pat, Ellen, Maureen, Denis Jr, Al, Paul, Richie, Brendan, Pat, Gwen, Bróna and the Habitat for Humanity workers, Brandon and Zach, for all they did for the project. I would like to say a special thank you to Unateresa, Sam and Shea Gormley for their amazing hospitality and always looking out for us.

When we first arrived in Alabama as a bunch of strangers we didn’t know what to expect. On our first night Pastor Jeremy kindly welcomed us to Capstone where we all watched the Project Children documentary together. The following morning we returned to Capstone for church service which we all enjoyed. By now we were settled into life in Tuscaloosa and it was time to get down to work. I felt so honored to be a part of the team that worked on Ms. Vaun’s house after it burned down. It was so rewarding to see how in just a week we went from a slab of concrete to what actually looked like a house. The work that Habitat for Humanity do is truly amazing and I feel so grateful to have been a part of their team for the week. It’s such a strange thing how when everyone is thrown in together, spending almost 17 hours a day together for a week we really Sarah and Miriam at the Waterstone Inn Sarah and Miriam at the Waterstone Inn became like a little family. On the last day of Alabama I felt like I had known everyone all my life and we were all hesitant to say goodbye to each other. Then we arrived at the lake. Greenwood lake can only be described as a home away from home. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming and we’ve all just had the best summer ever. Working at the inn was fantastic. I really enjoyed meeting all the wonderful and interesting guests who stayed at the Inn and I cannot thank the Mulcahy’s enough; every single one of them did so much for us during our stay at the lake. Between boat rides and taking us different places and Miriam always making sure we were fed with the best home cooked food, I felt like I really hit the jackpot.