It’s not usual that an internship takes students halfway around the world, but that’s exactly what happened to Mount Saint Mary College Psychology major Nicole Kreischer.
Her internship, which will continue through May, has Kreischer working at Hilltop Communities in Warwick, N.Y., aiding students with learning disabilities. It’s a good fit for the industrious student, who herself has learned to live and thrive with ADHD and dyslexia.
But before Kreischer even began, Hilltop Communities founder Roseanne Esposito asked her how she would feel aiding with the organization’s Promoting Arts, Teamwork, and Hope (PATH) program, which fosters creativity, teamwork, and empowerment in underserved areas of Honduras.
It was something she had never considered. It was a little sudden and a little scary. And it was an offer Kreischer quickly accepted.
“It was a lot and it was kind of overwhelming, but I wanted to do it,” Kreischer explained. “I was so excited to help!”
The Central American country of Honduras lies more than 3,000 miles away from New York, past Florida, Cuba, and even the edge of Mexico. Kreischer, a Washingtonville, N.Y. native, kicked off her new internship in January by hopping on a plane and making the nearly eight-hour trip south.
Esposito was there to meet Kreischer moments after the plane touched down, officially starting her weeklong service trip.
The Hilltop Communities PATH group visited several areas of Honduras, including La Fe, Crawfish Rock, and West End. Despite the language barrier – the people of Honduras speak mainly Spanish – Kreischer and the other volunteers made a great impact on their communities. In addition to other responsibilities, they spent their days teaching English to help locals get jobs in the thriving Honduras tourist industry. During the downtime, Kreischer would tap into her background as an accomplished dancer and teach the children some popular moves.
“It’s so rewarding to see the children engaged and interested,” Kreischer said. “These kids run up to you right away and hug you. They’re excited someone is there to teach.”
Service trip aside, Kreischer has made her mark on the Mount in many other ways. She serves in the Mount’s Student Government Association as Junior Class Senator; is an Admissions Ambassador, Resident Assistant, and Orientation leader for the college; and is a member of both the Psi Chi and Tri Alpha honor societies. Psi Chi is the Honor Society for Psychology, and Tri Alpha is the Honor Society for first generation college students.
That’s right: On top of her many roles at the Mount, her normal classes, and her internship, Kreischer is also the first in her family to attend college. It might seem like a lot of responsibility – and it is – but it’s all in a day’s work for Kreischer.
“I always push to make my parents proud of me,” she said. “They both worked to give me this opportunity to go to college. I’m going to work hard and I’m going to succeed.”
Now that she’s back in New York and finishing the rest of her internship with Hilltop Communities, Kreischer has had some time to reflect on her experiences abroad.
“This internship was never something I ever pictured myself doing,” she explained. “I always wanted to do community work, but when she gave me this opportunity, my whole perspective changed for what I want to do for my future.”
And her future, Kreischer said, will be steeped in service. In the short term, plans are already in motion for Kreischer to return to Honduras for another service trip this spring.
“So much happens in one week,” she said. “Every day goes by slow, but all of a sudden you’re back at the airport. You look back on the pictures and see what you did with the kids. We taught them some English, we were drawing and coloring with them, we did dances with them. Now imagine what I could do if I had more time with them.”