Tentikeeva Anara on studying in NYC and interning at Rihanna’s organization.

December 9, 2022

Tentikeeva Anara is a junior student of the Liberal Arts and Sciences department at AUCA. Currently, she is spending her exchange semester in New York, studying at Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program. In this interview, Anara shares her experience of her exchange and its impact on her life.

Anara shares that one of the main reasons she applied for an exchange semester was the opportunity to get academic experience abroad. She also added: “Studying abroad for a semester is an incredible opportunity to see the world, meet new people, learn new cultures and open yourself to different points of view. Additionally, it is a great way to see everything from a student's perspective and enhance your academic skills simultaneously. The exchange semester was one of my main goals during my undergraduate studies.”

BGIA as an exchange program

This semester I am studying with Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program which is located in the heart of New York. Studying in the United States, especially in New York City was my dream from middle school. Most of the exchange programs at AUCA are self-funded while the BGIA program is funded by the OSUN Mobility Network which is a great opportunity for students. Since I am majoring in Human Rights, I am interested in International Affairs and BGIA is the best place to study it. I have classes about International Affairs, Civil Society, and Foreign Policy. The classes are super interesting and I see great interaction among students. Also, professors work carefully with every student by providing detailed feedback. There are around 25 students in BGIA Program and all of them are from different countries which make the class super international.

Internship at Rihanna’s organization

The main advantage of the BGIA program is that we not only study but also have internships at organizations in New York City. I am interning at Clara Lionel Foundation, which is Climate Justice and Climate Resilience organization that was founded by Rihanna. My internship is totally remote and I intern 20 hours per week. I have different responsibilities depending on projects which combine social media, research, administrative tasks, grant letters, and the vetting process. I intern in a team of 8 people and I have a supervisor, who is also a project manager at CLF. The team is super welcoming and supportive and we have meetings every week to share what is happening. This internship helped me understand better how philanthropy works. Internships in such a big organization which operates in 7 countries in the Caribbean and United States helped me to improve my soft and hard skills as well.

The atmosphere of NYC

People in New York are from all over the world and I hear other languages even more than English on the streets. New York is about freedom and opportunities. People dress and behave as they want, and nobody will judge them. Also, people are so nice here and I love their approach to problem-solving. I am in love with the diversity of this city where I can find everything such as unusual buildings, incredible nature, bridges, and the ocean at the same time. I definitely learned new things which changed my daily life routine.

AUCA’s contribution to my life

Transitioning to the new environment and my new university was pretty easy. Since we speak English in AUCA, it was not hard to use the language here. Also, the structure of the classes is almost the same as in AUCA where we need to read all material in advance and discuss it in class. Also, AUCA taught me how to communicate with different people from all around the world which is super helpful abroad.

I am so grateful to AUCA for providing these incredible opportunities for students to see the world and get amazing experiences. I also want to thank my lovely New Generation Academy for giving a great foundation for every student and supporting me all the way long. Thanks to all my professors, coordinators, and advisors!

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