Meet GDL Interns!

 Name: Kumari Pooja

Age: 20

Hometown: Purnea, Bihar

School: University of  Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, USA

Area of Study: Economics and Mathematics

Dates working at GDL: May 22- July 19, 2008

Project working on at GDL: BPO

Why did you decide to come to GDL?: I wanted to work in India and I heard about GDL at Penn. I really liked the women empowerment program that GDL was running.  I always wanted to do something to better the status of women in India and this was a great opportunity for me to do something for them.

What are some challenges you have faced while being here? The communication gap and the scarcity of resources in Bagar

Goals after GDL? For a few years I would like to work in the financial sector but later I would like to engage in developmental work in India

Advice for future interns at GDL: “They should know what they want to achieve through this internship. If they can plan for two months that is best.” 

Name: Rahul Reddy

Hometown: Fort Gratiot, Michigan, USA

School: University of Pennsylvania

Area of Study: Political Science, Economics, French

Dates working at GDL: May 22^nd to July 19^th

Project working on at GDL: Bagar Employment Exchange

Why did you decide to come to GDL?: I wanted to push myself by trying something outside my comfort zone and wanted to learn more about a field I had only had academic exposure to. I realized from day one I was outside my comfort zone and over the next few weeks, I encountered things I had read about in class and many things I had not read about.

What are some challenges you have faced while being here?: Language was the first and most visible challenge I faced. I already had a passing familiarity with Hindi but after my first few minutes behind the desk at BEX, I reached its limits.

Goals after GDL?: I want to have an enjoyable last year of university and then start in a job that I enjoy and that allows me to have an impact for the better in developing countries. My hope is that my time at GDL and in India afterwards will help me narrow down what I’d like to do.

Advice for future interns at GDL: If you are not a Hindi-speaker, learning the basics for Hindi and the alphabet before coming will be extremely helpful. I do wish I had done a better job with this.

Name: Stephanie Searles

Hometown: Barrington, RI USA

School: University of Pennsylvania

Area of Study: Communications and Public Policy and South Asian Studies

Dates Working at GDL: May 2008-July 2008

Project Working on at GDL: Personality Development Classes and Creating the Bagar webpage

Why GDL?:I came to GDL because I have had a desire to work in India for many years and am very interested in international development. GDL is the perfect combination for me with its initiatives that are aimed to tackle prevalant development challenges ranging from health to education issues. I use my background knowledge to help teach people in Bagar the principles of positive attitude, career development, coping with change, and job searching.

Goals After GDL: I hope to attend Law School and become an International Business Lawyer. I will continue working with development projects in India and around the world.

Name: Katherine Maughan

Age: 22

School: University of Pennsylvania

Project working on at GDL: Water Project--   “after we filter water through Reverse Osmosis, there is waste water left over – about 50% of the water filtered becomes waste water. We need to find a use for this water to maximize the sustainability of the water outlet’s operations. I’m the person who’s trying to determine the best use for the waste water we’re producing.”

Length of time at GDL: Five months (May 2008 - Oct 2008)

Why she decided to come to GDL: “I have wanted to come to India for a long time and have always been interested in doing development work here. I had been working as a research assistant at Penn and learning about India for about a year before traveling to Bagar… I like the fact that you are fully responsible for the work you do here—you are given a lot of responsibility right away and are expected to deliver results.”

Future plans after GDL: Katherine will graduate from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. She is thinking of attending Medical school back in the US and is also interested in getting a masters in Public Health.

Advice for future interns: “Bring your own electrolyte mix!!!”

To see all the interns, staff and volunteers that make GDL a special place, please visit the GDL Team page.