Actively interning helped this Fudan student find a career direction, from teaching Yunnan as a freshman to entering UNICEF International | Children | Student
On July 5th, it was the last day of Jiang Jingyi's internship at the UNICEF headquarters in New York, an undergraduate student from the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University. She sat at her workstation as usual, and as soon as she looked up, she could see the cute faces of children posted on the hallway. "Every time I see children with pure smiles, I become even more determined to work in child protection and development in the future," Jiang Jingyi told Liberation Daily Shangguan News, where she has been interning for a whole year.
Actively interning is an important part of her journey into society, clarifying her career and life direction, and her original intention stems from the Yunnan teaching support during her freshman winter vacation.
[First internship, expanded my horizons]
This is Jiang Jingyi's second internship at an international organization at the United Nations Children's Fund. As early as her high school years at Fudan Affiliated Middle School, she had an interest in international politics and cultural exchange, and participated in the school's "Model United Nations" club.
During the winter break of her freshman year, she participated in the Yunnan volunteer teaching activity organized by the Fudan Zhide Public Welfare Association. Although it was only a short two weeks, the down-to-earth and firsthand experience of real contact had a great impact on Jiang Jingyi. She began to think about the differences in education between urban and rural areas, and also wanted to do something in children's development.
One day, she saw on her WeChat Moments that the Shanghai office of the International Save the Children Association was recruiting interns. This is Jiang Jingyi's first time being exposed to a social practice project aimed at the development of children aged 0-6. She has always enjoyed interacting with children and enjoys this job very much. At that time, she would squeeze out two and a half days a week for internships, mainly participating in two projects. One is to observe the interaction between parents and children, and then assist experts in providing guidance. "For example, when parents interact with their children, they should not look at their phones. Instead, they should have physical contact and eye contact to make the children feel the presence of their parents. They should explore the world around them with their children, rather than directly telling them what it is and what it is."
Work photo at the International Children's Rescue Association
In addition, Jiang Jingyi also followed up on an early childhood art education project throughout the process. The project has been extended to kindergartens for migrant children and experts have been hired to provide art training to teachers. "We are not training painting skills, but rather conveying the concept of inspiring children's observation and creativity. For example, discovering art in life from different perspectives, and not criticizing children's paintings from an adult perspective." Jiang Jingyi told Jiefang Daily · Shangguan News reporters that this internship has expanded her horizons, and she clearly feels her interest and enthusiasm for children's development work, gradually deepening her self-awareness.
[Second internship, finding career aspirations]
When it comes to her internship at the United Nations Children's Fund, Jiang Jingyi used the term "coincidence". She usually follows the "Fudan International Association FDG2IO" WeChat official account, which is an international organization career development and information platform operated by Fudan University Student Career Development Education Service Center and International Organization Association. Once, she saw the recruitment notice for internships of UNICEF pushed by the official account. She, eager to try, immediately submitted her application.
"Looking back now, I felt like a newborn calf was not afraid of tigers, and I just wanted to not miss the internship opportunity." Jiang Jingyi said, "Over the past year, whether in life or work, I have grown a lot.". Last June, she came to New York for the first time. Usually, she eats in the UN canteen. When she misses Chinese food, she goes to Chinatown to have a Kung Pao chicken, or a large cake of deep-fried dough sticks tofu pudding. The office of the United Nations Children's Fund is located in the Manhattan area, where the population density is particularly high. She, who has been accustomed to seeing pedestrians walking hurriedly since childhood, also exclaimed, "There are many people on the streets of Manhattan who run all the way. With such a fast pace, it takes some time to adapt."
Jiang Jingyi was assigned to the public partnership team of UNICEF, and her colleagues patiently guided me to lend a helping hand when I encountered problems. Her daily work involves communicating and liaising with diplomats from various countries. During major conferences, everyone is very busy and will spontaneously stay to work overtime. What gave her the most sense of achievement was her participation in a consultative study exploring the public partnership strategies of UNICEF and middle-income countries, and forming a report that outlined strategic recommendations. Her inquisitive and serious attitude left a deep impression on this team. "This internship is equivalent to entering the working state ahead of time. I have a profound understanding of what public partnerships are and their significance for children's work. I have further found my career ideals during the internship, and I will continue to improve my abilities to prepare for employment," said Jiang Jingyi.
Group photo with UNICEF mascot
