VIDYA
Donation protected
Who am I?
Hello! My name is Olivia and I am a 3rd year student at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON, studying Environmental Science. I am passionate about the environment, my dog, and my ideal day would be spent in a canoe; even though that’s probably all you need to know, here’s a little more about me:
- I’ve lived alone on an island for 3 months
- I am scuba certified
- I’ve spent Christmas eve traveling across the Sahara Desert by camel
- Once, I ate only ice cream for an entire day
- I physically ran into Ben Stiller and knocked him down
- I believe everyone should do their best to ask good questions every single day
So, now that you know a little bit about me, let me fill you in on my plans for the summer of 2018!
What am I doing?
This year, I am extremely fortunate and ridiculously excited to have been hired as an intern by Queen’s Project on International Development (QPID) for their India Initiative. QPID is a student-run organization founded in 1990 here at Queen’s. QPID’s mission is to encourage the sharing of knowledge and promote development consciousness, inspiring critical thinking and informed action.
I will be living in New Delhi from early June to late August of 2018. We - my internship partner Paula and I - will be working at the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), VIDYA. VIDYA is a charitable organization that specializes in the education and empowerment of less-privileged children, youth, and women.
As an intern, I will be working 5 days a week to provide much needed administrative support at the head office of VIDYA. I would like to emphasize that our placement at VIDYA does not take away work opportunities from local people; rather, we seek to alleviate the strenuous workload of the wonderful people at VIDYA while connecting with the school and community personally, and exchanging knowledge and experiences with staff and students alike.
Why?
I am eager to work with the strong, brilliant staff of VIDYA and to learn about the day-to-day tasks involved with running a national NGO that has helped over 300,000 people. I am not naïve to the fact that, in the grand scheme of things, my work in New Delhi will not change the world, but I do believe it is a step in the right direction.
Being human, we all crave experiences that we are able to convert into personal knowledge and growth. In this letter, I hope to convey to you my dedication to personally invest in and connect to my local community in India whilst also absorbing every ounce of knowledge that I am fortunate enough to learn from. I am so grateful for this opportunity and recognize that this internship is a direct investment in my ability to think critically, improve my leadership skills, and strengthen my character.
How?
QPID projects are planned for an average cost of $6,000, and each intern is required to contribute $3,000 to this figure. This cost covers transportation, insurance, visas, accommodation, and project expenses.
What else?
If you would like to learn more about QPID and VIDYA please visit the following websites!
QPID: www.qpidqueens.org
VIDYA: http://vidya-india.org/about-us/who-we-are/
I plan to write weekly updates while on internship, most likely in blog form, about the internship itself and life in India. If this is something that you would be interested in following, I encourage you to send me your contact information so that I can keep you updated!
If you have any other questions PLEASE feel free to contact me, whether it be about my internship, environmental sustainability, QPID’s work in developing nations, or just to have a chat.
I am so very grateful for your time and attention, and any contribution is so appreciated, no matter the size!
Sincerely,
Olivia Heintzman
Hello! My name is Olivia and I am a 3rd year student at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON, studying Environmental Science. I am passionate about the environment, my dog, and my ideal day would be spent in a canoe; even though that’s probably all you need to know, here’s a little more about me:
- I’ve lived alone on an island for 3 months
- I am scuba certified
- I’ve spent Christmas eve traveling across the Sahara Desert by camel
- Once, I ate only ice cream for an entire day
- I physically ran into Ben Stiller and knocked him down
- I believe everyone should do their best to ask good questions every single day
So, now that you know a little bit about me, let me fill you in on my plans for the summer of 2018!
What am I doing?
This year, I am extremely fortunate and ridiculously excited to have been hired as an intern by Queen’s Project on International Development (QPID) for their India Initiative. QPID is a student-run organization founded in 1990 here at Queen’s. QPID’s mission is to encourage the sharing of knowledge and promote development consciousness, inspiring critical thinking and informed action.
I will be living in New Delhi from early June to late August of 2018. We - my internship partner Paula and I - will be working at the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), VIDYA. VIDYA is a charitable organization that specializes in the education and empowerment of less-privileged children, youth, and women.
As an intern, I will be working 5 days a week to provide much needed administrative support at the head office of VIDYA. I would like to emphasize that our placement at VIDYA does not take away work opportunities from local people; rather, we seek to alleviate the strenuous workload of the wonderful people at VIDYA while connecting with the school and community personally, and exchanging knowledge and experiences with staff and students alike.
Why?
I am eager to work with the strong, brilliant staff of VIDYA and to learn about the day-to-day tasks involved with running a national NGO that has helped over 300,000 people. I am not naïve to the fact that, in the grand scheme of things, my work in New Delhi will not change the world, but I do believe it is a step in the right direction.
Being human, we all crave experiences that we are able to convert into personal knowledge and growth. In this letter, I hope to convey to you my dedication to personally invest in and connect to my local community in India whilst also absorbing every ounce of knowledge that I am fortunate enough to learn from. I am so grateful for this opportunity and recognize that this internship is a direct investment in my ability to think critically, improve my leadership skills, and strengthen my character.
How?
QPID projects are planned for an average cost of $6,000, and each intern is required to contribute $3,000 to this figure. This cost covers transportation, insurance, visas, accommodation, and project expenses.
What else?
If you would like to learn more about QPID and VIDYA please visit the following websites!
QPID: www.qpidqueens.org
VIDYA: http://vidya-india.org/about-us/who-we-are/
I plan to write weekly updates while on internship, most likely in blog form, about the internship itself and life in India. If this is something that you would be interested in following, I encourage you to send me your contact information so that I can keep you updated!
If you have any other questions PLEASE feel free to contact me, whether it be about my internship, environmental sustainability, QPID’s work in developing nations, or just to have a chat.
I am so very grateful for your time and attention, and any contribution is so appreciated, no matter the size!
Sincerely,
Olivia Heintzman
Organizer
Olivia Heintzman
Organizer
Kingston, ON
