Edinam Agbenyeke '07
Accra, Ghana
Economics
Q: Why did you want to do an internship at the African Development Center?
A: Before I became interested in the work of the ADC, I had attended their one-year anniversary celebration. At this event, it came to me that with its size (there were five full-time staff members), its youth and potential client base, the ADC presented
a tremendous opportunity to learn firsthand about community development, specifically directed and tailored toward immigrant communities (the Somali community in particular).
Internships are a valuable experience because you definitely learn a lot about
yourself … and what you want (or don't want) to do with your education.
—Edinam Agbenyeke |
Q: What surprised you about working there?
A: I was surprised by how much of a difference an individual's background can make to their success in a new place. One of the things that influenced me in this respect was learning about the distinction between traditional financing and Islamic financing, both of which the ADC does; traditional financing charges interest and Islamic financing doesn't. I also saw how much of a personal relationship the staff of the ADC seemed to develop with each client in order to look beyond credit scores and tax returns, and to understand their circumstances and personal history, to provide an opportunity for advancement that (Somali) immigrants may find difficult to obtain
elsewhere.
Q: Did you find yourself drawing upon things that you'd learned in the classroom?
A: I did draw on a few of my skills acquired in the classroom such as understanding information from financial statements (this was particularly helpful when I sat in on loan committee meetings), and entering and performing operations on data in spreadsheets. Most of what I learned, however, was either through conversation with others or through the completion of the tasks I was assigned.
Q: Why do you think internships are a valuable experience?
A: You definitely learn a lot about yourself, how you work, and what you want (or don't want) to do with your education. They're also very fertile ground for making valuable contacts with people who are likely to be helpful in the process of navigating your career. Living in a large city helps the process because there are many opportunities available across a range of establishments-small/large, corporate/nonprofit, etc.-and this frees you to explore your interests.
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