Three students from Soegijapranata Catholic University, Semarang– Raveena Alifiya Sahara from the 2021 Communication Studies program, Florencia Angela Santoso from the 2021 Psychology program, and Kevin Hartono from the 2022 English Preneurship program— recently completed a 25-day teaching internship at the USLS-IS (Integrated School), a school managed by the University of Saint La Salle (USLS), Bacolod, Philippines. The internship took place from August 12 to September 5, 2024, as part of a collaboration between the Faculty of Language and Arts at Soegijapranata Catholic University and the College of Education at USLS, which began in 2022.

During the program, the three students engaged in various educational and cultural activities. They assisted teachers in classrooms, graded student assignments, and conducted live teaching sessions in front of students. Additionally, they participated in supporting activities such as a campus tour of La Salle, class observations in the Communication, English Science, and Psychology departments, and explorations of tourist destinations in Bacolod.

Raveena, known as Veena, shared that this teaching internship was a valuable experience for her. “We learned to adapt and become good teachers while understanding Filipino culture and exploring its attractions,” she said. The international experience also connected them with students from various countries who were studying at USLS Bacolod. Flo, a Psychology student, expressed her memorable impression of her international friends. “I made friends with students from the Philippines, France, Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Bangladesh. They were very open and friendly, making it fun to hang out and explore together,” she shared.

When asked about their motivations for participating in the teaching internship, all three students expressed their desire to gain experience and expand their international networks. For Flo, this experience was important because it provided a chance to study in an international environment. Meanwhile, Kevin, an English Preneurship student, added that this program could also be used to fulfill his internship and course requirements in his faculty.

Despite the benefits, they also faced challenges, especially when conducting teaching demonstrations in large classrooms with up to 45 students. Nervousness was the main obstacle, particularly as they were directly assessed by the class teacher. Nevertheless, Veena, Flo, and Kevin agreed that the experience was highly rewarding, and they recommended the program to SCU students seeking to gain international experience and build global connections. The experiences of these three students not only enriched their academic knowledge but also broadened their understanding of different cultures and helped them establish cross-national relationships.

Source: SCU