Internship Abroad Prepares RIC Student for International Career in Technology
Flying across the Atlantic to engage in an internship in Lisbon, Portugal, has been a dream come true for Rhode Island College senior John Mercedes. He arrived on May 15 to intern at Deimos Engenharia, a small company that focuses on space systems design and operational space software.
The 23-year-old will live in Portugal for eight weeks, as part of the 2023 CIEE's Summer Global Internship program. He will learn skills related to his major in computer information systems and his minors in Portuguese and data analytics.
“I see this experience as training for my future professional career and as an opportunity to practice my Portuguese,” he says.
Just days before Mercedes left for Portugal, he was awarded the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad. He was also awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Lema-Fernandes Study Abroad Fund by the Institute for Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies at RIC.
According to his advisor, Associate Professor of Portuguese Silvia Oliveira, “John Mercedes is a true humanist. He’s an exemplary critical thinker with an uncommon talent for languages and he has a profound interest in the culture, language, history and stories of other people. I foresee a bold expansion of his impact on the world.”
Mercedes, who also speaks Spanish, says he values the Portuguese language he’s learned at Rhode Island College. “RIC is the only institution in the region that offers a Portuguese minor,” he says. “While here in Lisbon, I’ve felt confident in my ability to communicate effectively. I go to the supermarket and people understand what I’m saying, and at work, people validate me.”
While in Lisbon, Mercedes will also work on a personal project: exploring the crossroads between language learning, data analysis and volunteerism.
Throughout the whole process, Mercedes’ significant other has been by his side. “Thanks to Associate Professor Oliveira’s support and connections here in Portugal, my wife’s been able to be here with me,” he says. “This will definitely be a life-changing experience. I’m looking forward to the connections I’ll make with people outside my community.”
Mercedes says he envisions great outcomes from his experience abroad. “Maybe in the future this will open the door to international work in technology,” he says. “I’d like to work and travel the world, maybe even join an organization like CIEE to help other students make the decision to study abroad and tell them about my experience. I think the benefits of studying abroad are endless.”