My internship experience began in Dublin airport where I met Nigel Lynskey. After the fourteen of us arrived at New York we took photos, and everyone went their separate ways to meet their new host families. However, Nigel and I proceeded onto Denver, Colorado in what was a long and tedious flight. We were collected at the airport by our hosts Anthony and Darlene Massey. We were fortunate enough to have two weeks off before starting our jobs with Habitat for Humanity. These two weeks allowed me to really get to know my hosts and Nigel as well as to climatize to the higher altitude and arid environment. During these two weeks we did a lot of sightseeing and hiking. Our host Anthony has a passion for hiking and has summited all 55 peaks over 14,000 in the Rocky Mountain range. I really enjoyed hiking as the scenery was like nothing I had ever seen at home. Habitat for Humanity has the belief that everyone deserves a decent place to live. They achieve this goal through creating safe and affordable housing and home ownership programmes. Flatirons Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1993 and since then has provided more than 100 families with a safe place to call home. Boulder is a wealthy city, and I was shocked that 50% of people in the city spent more than 30% of their income on housing and that 30% of people spent more than 50% of their income on housing. Including myself and Nigel there are 3 other full time site workers with Habitat for Humanity, Linda, Utah, and Brendan. We worked Tuesday to Saturday with volunteers helping on a Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. I really enjoyed the blend of staff only and volunteer days, it allowed me to gain a valuable insight into American construction methods as well as improving my ability to work as a team member and coordinate others. Nigel and I spent our first week testing a building for air tightness and sealing any gaps we saw. After this week we moved to another site that just had its foundation poured I enjoyed this site more as we got a more hands on experience. The Director of Construction, Linda, was very good at letting Nigel and I watch on-site demonstrations of different aspects of the build, such as how to construct and seal a window opening or how to insert rim joists and mudsills. These demonstrations ensured I had the knowledge and confidence required to aid the volunteers when they had queries. I really enjoyed the demonstrations as it created the perfect opportunity for asking questions and made me feel like a valued member of the team. Aside from work, our host family Anthony and Darlene were brilliant for bringing us to different places and events as well as introducing us to many Irish friends of his along the way. One of my favourite events was a rodeo in Cheyenne. This summer has been an experience that I will never forget, and I would like to thank Denis Mulcahy, Catherine Flood and Anthony Massey along with the countless others who has made this such a memorable experience.

When I arrived in Newark Airport on the 21st June, 2022 with all the other interns, I was extremely apprehensive and had no idea what to expect but I was put right at ease when I met my host family Matt and Michele Smith and the other intern that I would be staying with, Lorraine, who turned out to be a great friend. We went straight from the airport to Denis’ house in Greenwood Lake for pizza and from there the Smiths drove us to their house in Honesdale Pennsylvania where we were met by 2 parrots, a dog, 2 cats and a rabbit! We started our legal internship in Matt’s office, Callinan & Smith in Hawley Pennsylvania the following day where we worked alongside him and his son Matthew Jr. They mainly work on civil cases involving insurance fraud. From working with the Smiths, I learned how different the legal system is in America in comparison to Ireland and I had the opportunity to see how a law office operates in America. I had the chance to sit in on several Examinations under Oath (EUOs), depositions, arbitrations and motions over Zoom and even attended an in-person deposition of a suspect homeowner’s case in Philadelphia. It was a real eye-opening experience. In addition to this I worked on multiple projects in the office which gave me a glimpse into what working in the legal sector is really like. I assisted with reviewing cheques on a money laundering case, did research on the training of service animals in conjunction with a person’s disability and did administrative work in a legal setting. I also had the opportunity to see a town hall meeting and got to witness the American republicans’ version of democracy. There, we met the local police officers who invited us to go for a ride along with them. This was an amazing experience as I got to spend 4 hours driving around Hawley with them while they were on duty, and I got to see firsthand how the police work in America which is very different to how the gardai work in Ireland, but it was an interesting experience, nonetheless. On our first week, the Smiths took us to Scranton where we went to the restaurant and bar that my favorite TV show, The Office, was filmed in. On my weekends off, I went to New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington. In New York I went to China Town, Little Italy and the Highline and I even got to meet Johnathan Van Ness from Queer Eye. The host family took us to Philadelphia where we went on a bus tour of all the main tourist attractions, and I saw the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and Congress Hall. One of the hosts, Vinnie took all the interns to Washington where we got the chance to see the White House, the Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial. On our last weekend, Matt took us shooting. It was my first time shooting and it won’t be my last! I got to shoot an AR15 which was an interesting experience to say the least! In addition to this, we went down a coal mine, on a vintage steam train and got to see where Woodstock took place and even went to the Woodstock Museum. We also made smores with Michele. The host family took us out to dinner several times and their hospitality and generosity blew me away! Matt took us to try the American delicacy of Chick-Fil-A and I can confirm that it is delicious! On our last weekend, our host family took us to the Wayne County fair where we got to see real Americana culture which was a unique experience. Throughout our trip we went to an Irish dinner dance, a 4th of July barbeque and an Ancient Order of Hibernians barbeque. I had a remarkable summer in Pennsylvania that I will never forget and have made friends and memories for life. I will miss my host family and their pets, especially King Rocky (the old cat who always tried to steal our dinners)! I will also miss having the craic with Matthew Jr, getting him random items from the thrift store and blaring Will Smith in his car! I would like to thank the Smith family for very kindly welcoming myself and Lorraine into their home and for their generosity and cordiality. I will never forget Matt’s pranks and his interesting stories. I would also like to thank Denis, Miriam and their family and Catherine, Al and all the other Project Children coordinators and organizers for giving me this amazing opportunity and for everything they have done for the internship program. I will never forget my summer in America and will cherish this experience forever!

As we were beginning to land in Newark airport, I felt both excited and scared but the view as we flew past Manhattan was truly something to behold and soon it was just excitement. On our way to baggage collection, we were greeted by our Project Children handlers, my handler was Tom Kinirons who has one of the coolest moustaches I have ever seen. We then drove to Tom’s house and met his wife Theresa who welcomed us with open arms, and we had a real New York style pizza as our first dinner. Vinny, who was my host, came and picked us up from Tom’s house and brought us back to his, we were greeted by the nicest dogs and cats I’ve ever met! The next day Vinny took us into Manhattan and showed us some of the famous sites and how to get around the city safely. I can’t thank Vinny enough for all the experiences and hospitality he has shown me throughout the trip, he is a true gentleman in every sense of the word. My internship was with the Nassau County Court, I interned under Judge Robert McDonald and his law clerk Judith Gann. I was given a very warm welcome to the court and got to witness a lot of very interesting cases. Judge McDonald is a Supreme Court Judge and deals with both civil and criminal cases, during my time I got to witness both types of cases and observe the differences and nuance between the two. Murder cases were common in the court and very intense, I was greatly impressed by the professionalism of all involved within the courts and I have a lot of respect for those who work there. During my time in the courts, I also got to make new friends with fellow interns in the courts and get to know the other judges, I visited both Judge David Sullivan and Judge Teresa Corrigan during my time and got to sit in their courtrooms and watch their trials as well. On our last day Judith had a pizza party for us, and it was nice to sit down and have a real casual conversation with Judge McDonald and Judith. McDonald is a fountain of knowledge and is more than willing to share it, he is a real history buff and has a great memory. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations on historical events and battles. My host Vinny took some other Project Interns and I to Washington DC, this was a highlight of the whole experience for me as we got to see the White House, the Washington Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, WW2 Memorial, the Reflecting pool, and the Vietnam War memorial. It was great to be able to spend quality time with my host as well as the other interns and get to know them better and develop close friendships. Getting to spend time in New York City was amazing, it wasn’t just a fleeting holiday experience, you get to experience a true New York lifestyle, see stuff that tourists don’t get to see and experience the city in a true authentic way. I was stationed in Long Island and the local train station was only 20-minute walk away and the train took you straight into the center of the city, the trains to and from were very regular so there are no worries about getting stuck in the city. Overall, my experience during the project children internship was incredible, I will never forget my time in the US, and I am already planning to return to some day! A special thanks is required for my host Vinny, he made the trip special, and I will extremely miss his sense of humor, his pets, and his kindness. I also would like to extend thanks to Tom Kinirons for dealing with a lot of the logistics of the trip as well Paul Lecky and Monica Culbert for answering all my questions and concerns before we left for the USA. Finally, I would like to thank Denis Mulcahy and his family, if not for them project children would not exist, the story behind the program and its history are of great importance and I am very proud to have been a part of it.

For my internship with Project Children, I was placed in Utica, New York. My internship was based at the Irish Cultural Centre and my time here was divided between the 5 points bar and restaurant and helping to establish their museum. Throughout my time spent working here I truly learnt the inner workings of a business and what it takes to run a successful business. This was a very valuable insight as I study a law and business degree and do not often get to experience the practical side to running a business. I believe this gave me a deeper knowledge and better understanding towards the world of business. The museum work was also very interesting as I spent my time at the Oneida County History Centre learning and researching about the history of Irish settlers in Utica. The Mohawk Valley has strong links to Ireland due to the high number of Irish settlers. Due to this Irish culture is vastly celebrated and one event that occurred was the CNY Irish Festival which I was able to volunteer at. This was an amazing and heart-warming experience to see how Irish culture and heritage is celebrated throughout the world. I was lucky enough to spend most of my free time in the Adirondack mountains either hiking, kayaking, swimming or paddle boarding. These mountains are beautiful, and I would not have been able to experience these activities at home. I also attended my first ever baseball game which was fun experience. I was able to attend the BriteVibes festival which was very unique with cool music, good food and lots of craic. I was fortunate enough to have the Manions as a host family and I could not be any more grateful to them. From the very beginning they made me feel at ease with adjusting to the American way of life and welcomed me into their home with open arms. Without their kindness and allowing me to stay in their home this experience would not have been possible. This summer has been an unforgettable experience with the best memories, and I am so thankful to Project Children, especially my coordinator Pat Costello. Pat made sure that I had the best experience possible and really made the adjustment to America so much easier and without him this summer would not have been possible.

On the 21st of June 2022, we arrived at Newark Airport in New Jersey. As soon as we stepped out of the plane, we were greeted by Denis Mulcahy, Al DeBenedictis, Tom Kinirons & Pat Costello. All the interns were divided into groups, as some of us were going to be staying in Greenwood Lake, Long Island, Bronx, Denver and Pennsylvania. As soon as we arrived in Greenwood Lake, we were given a tour of the town as well as the Waterstone Inn which Denis Mulcahy owns. As a group, we all interacted with one another to get to know each other on a more personal level. The Inn itself was unbelievable! It was a really surreal experience. Denis and his wife Miriam had organised pizzas for all of us. We then spent the rest of the evening getting to know the American people. We were able to compare their student lives and experiences with ours back home. It really was everything that you would imagine it to be from the American movies. I stayed with Sam and Una Gormley, and their son Shea. I worked to help promote the social media aspect of different projects that Sam and Una had going on like the Rose of Tralee festival and Irish dancing competitions, as well as the Irish American Young Leaders organisation. This was a great experience as it allowed me to know more about the different organisations that they are both associated with. Throughout my time as an intern, I was involved in a wide array of projects ranging from research to inventory. Sam and Una were both so kind-hearted and treated me like their son and went out of their way to make me happy – and this is something that I will be forever grateful for. I was fortunate to experience first- hand a baseball game in which the Yankees were playing the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday 28th of June. It was a great experience to visit the Yankee stadium and to experience the atmosphere of a baseball game up close and personal. As a group, we also got to go to Mountain Creek Waterpark which at first was a pretty daunting park, but one that I fully enjoyed and would happily do all over again. As group we also got to experience Washington D.C. Vinny, who was a host in Long Island had organised and even paid for all the interns’ train tickets so we could visit the tourist attractions that Washington had to offer, such as the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol, and the Veterans’ Memorials. It was great to experience another city in America and another one to tick off the bucket list! I would just like to say thanks again to Project Children, in just seven short weeks I have formed great friendships with people I may never have crossed paths with or had the opportunity to meet. I have made friends that I hope will last a lifetime and a half! I will be forever grateful for the life experience Project Children has given me as an intern and what it’s taught me about my own personal abilities.

Thinking back on the 21st of June, the first day of our Project Children Internship journey, I remember the chaos of Dublin Airport – check-in, customs, security, preclearance – and how sharply it contrasted with the tranquillity of Greenwood Lake. It was a welcome change, and an early indicator of the transformation our lives were about to undergo. The fast friends made in the terminal queues were relegated to Snapchat usernames and memories of hasty small talk as we went our separate ways. Us four Greenwood Lake interns bonded quickly through our new shared experience. We were quickly shown our quarters and got some much-needed rest before getting the 411 on our duties and responsibilities as Waterstone Innkeepers the next day. While my roommate Paul had the trials of the kitchen to contend with, I was charged with the maintenance and upkeep of the Inn and the surrounding area. Working with Denis, I learned a great deal. I’ve worked on cars, repaired light fixtures, assembled furniture, installed air conditioning units, hung up and wired ceiling fans, painted window frames and cottage shutters, built up boat docks and railings, created a beach and learned how lawn and plant care is done in this much warmer climate. I can confidently say I have developed a huge variety of new skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Living with the Mulcahy’s has been one of the best experiences of my life. From that dreary late June afternoon, we have been made feel so welcome and at home at the Waterstone Inn. We have had a combination of great food, great company, and great experiences. Miriam and Maureen’s cooking always hit the spot and was welcome after a tough day of work in the New York heat. The Mulcahy’s really made us feel like one of their own and became our new American family. Luckily, it wasn’t all work. The Mulcahy’s arranged for and allowed us to do so many incredible things – go to Yankee baseball games, assist coaching at Flag American Football training, attend GAA socials and traditional Irish music sessions, socialise with the wonderful locals in Greenwood Lake, see the amazing Fourth of July firework display, as well as go on incredible trips to New Jersey and Washington DC. To top it all off, more boat trips out on the lake than I can count! It was a group viewing of How To Defuse a Bomb: The Project Children Story that truly brought into focus the importance of this program and the legacy we interns were stepping into. It made us all appreciate the great work Denis and Pat Mulcahy undertook during the Troubles in Northern Ireland and the depth of love, opportunity, and freedom the project brought not only to the Catholic and Protestant youth of the North, but also to hundreds of American families and communities. Consequently, I would like to extend a thank you to Denis, Miriam, Maureen, Seána, Seanie, Denis Jr, Tara, Tom, Nora, Christine, Rob, Catherine, Linda, Vinny and all the wonderful Greenwood Lakers who accepted us into their community. This has been a life-changing experience and one, I will never forget.

Upon my arrival to the Aisling Center, I was incredibly nervous. Luckily, I got stuck right into work. My main focus for the first few days was the upcoming Golf Tournament on the 24th of June. We spent the day taking pictures, talking to the golfers and selling tickets to the raffle at the end of the event. This experience was one I will never forget, as it was an amazing introduction to many different people and gave me an opportunity to work on my social skills. One of my main focuses for the first few weeks was designing posters for various classes. As an art student, I feel my skills in graphic design were much improved through this. I hadn’t much experience designing posters prior, and it was a great way to enhance my skills in this area. Another big part of my first few weeks was learning my way around reception. The first step was shadowing one of my colleagues and learning the ins and outs of managing the website and Facebook page, using the statistics spreadsheets and signing people up for classes. I found the technological aspect especially difficult to get used to, as it is not a strong point of mine. For this reason, I feel I benefited immensely from my time at the front desk. One of the major events I attended was the Dinner Dance. The majority of the other interns attended and this was a great opportunity for me to meet with other people from similar walks of life to my own. This event was one of the highlights of my trip, as I met with many people that had given me the wonderful gift of this internship and learn more about Project Children and how it came to be. As my experience continued, I got more opportunities to meet with other interns and explore New York City. It was amazing to not only see, but to experience and be part of a completely different culture and setting to my own back in Ireland. As a student in Dublin, I thought I’d be used to cities and travelling, but it was a major shock to navigate such a massive city with the other interns and no prior experience. The atmosphere around McLean Avenue, where the Aisling Center is located, was what kept me from homesickness. From the people themselves to the stores and bars all down the Avenue, it was filled with people that came from home. I especially enjoyed attending Ceilí nights with other interns, as I got to meet many new people and listen to familiar music I grew up with in Ireland. The second half of my internship revolved mostly around having my own art classes for local children. It gave me experience in the proper preparation for classes, working with children and guiding them, and teaching them valuable skills through the means of art. These classes were an amazing opportunity for me to enhance my multitasking skills, as well as organizing the different activities for the children to take part in. A major part of the Centre’s summer programs is the Celtic Summer Camp. As a fluent Irish speaker and a traditional Irish singer, I thoroughly enjoyed working at these camps. While it was a completely different experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone, I had the opportunity to work closely with qualified teachers and learn valuable skills from them on how to improve on my communication when working with children. This will no doubt help me in the future, as I am progressing through college in order to work with children in the future. As this internship ends, I reflect on all that I have learned throughout this experience. The challenges I’ve faced, most notably being unwell on my trip and learning to push through and work to the best of my ability. The lifelong friendships I’ve made along the way and the amazing culture I’ve gotten the chance to experience. And most importantly, the invaluable skills and experience I’ve gained and improved upon from working with amazing, patient and knowledgeable people at the Aisling Center. This is an experience that I will never forget and that will impact me greatly for the rest of my career and life.