Every college student knows the struggle of looking for internship that is interesting, related to their major, and hands-on. No one wants to just bring coffees to the “big wigs” in their field. Especially me.
While I was hunting for internships I could complete during the Fall 2024 semester I knew I had to jump at the chance to partake in the Qisasna program through the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy. This internship gave me the chance to help unite two cultures that know very little about each other and to put the “global” into Global Affairs in different ways than the classroom. I confess that I knew very little about Yemen before this program. But I am glad to say that this semester has opened my eyes to how similar Americans and Yemenis are in terms of their daily lives, goals, and interests.
The Qisasna program ( “our stories” in Arabic) brings together college students from all over the United States with college students in Yemen to can create a podcast that discusses the similarities and differences between their countries and cultures. My cohort, for example, focused on the technology gaps in the two countries. To do this, we meet weekly, do research on our topics, brainstorm together, and complete exercises and assignments on the technical aspects of making a podcast. Everyone is assigned a task to make the workload manageable. I was the project manager of the US students and cohost of the podcast.
This program required plenty of time management, effective communication, and accountability on all parts. The time-zone difference makes keeping in touch difficult at times and the WIFI connection only makes this harder. I have learned leadership skills, how to manage a team, and how to problem-solve. It has also built up my confidence.
I am very glad I participated in Qisasna. Not only have I gained podcast skills, but I have also met amazing people that I would have never had the chance to anywhere else. I am very proud of the podcast that we have made. I am grateful for the experience and to George Mason for giving it to me. Once the podcast is finished, it can be found on Spotify. You can learn more about Qisasna by visiting https://www.stevensinitiative.org/program/amideast/.