About the Internship
The Maguire And Irby Family Foundation Public Service Internship now satisfies the OralCommunication and Community Engagement proficiency/experience in the new University Curriculum.
The Maguire Center -- with financial assistance from the Irby Family Foundation -- awards summer internships to SMU students who wish to devote time to public service or research in the field of ethics.
Over the past 16 years, we have awarded summer internship stipends to approximately 134 SMU students for public service and research in ethics. We have supported volunteers in more than one hundred fifteen agencies in 19 Texas cities, 14 states, and 15 countries outside the USA.
- For a complete listing of past internship placements, click here.
- For more information about past internships, the 2011 class of public service interns was profiled in the Fall 2011 Maguire Center Newsletter, and SMU Vision published this story[pdf] about the 2008 program.
Lives: Touch Others, Change Yours
SMU Public Service Interns have volunteered in a vast number of diverse internship placements. Through such opportunities, students gain concrete information about others' needs, as well as differing perspectives on how to resolve them. In the process, they draw on their university education and personal talent, honing skills as leaders and gaining both humility and self-confidence. They also gain experience, which illuminates concepts taught in the classroom, and that enables them to engage in public service where financial circumstances might not otherwise allow.
2012 Maguire Public Service Interns
Undergraduate Students
Rahfin Faruk, Class of 2015
Project: “Advocating for microfinance solutions on behalf of the Bengali agricultural community” at Grameen Bank Dhaka, Bangladesh.
""When I made my first field visit, I did not pay attention to the greater picture- the relationships between microfinance, development, and poverty reduction. I noticed the details: a boy struggling to drive his father 's oxen through a rice field, a villager slowly chipping away at a piece of wood, and a fried rice vendor scooping his product into newspaper plates. My time at Gameen Bank humanized numbers."
To read more abou Rahfin's trip, read his blog on SMU Adventures.
Katherine Jones, Class of 2013
Project: “Working with local Amazonian farmers to develop sustainable and nondestructive farming practices” at UBELONGEcuador.
"You can read every textbook about environmental degradation, water pollution, and poverty and never truly understand it without seeing it first hand. It was such a blessing to get that opportunity this past summer. I feel like I have been able to discern the colors between seemingly black and white sides of environmental issues. It's not always pretty- these issues are real and increasing- but it is motivating."
Janielle Kastner, Class of 2012
Project: “Building a safe house for victims of sex trafficking” at Traffick911 Dallas, TX
"Perhaps the most definitive moment of my summer with Traffick911 was when I asked this young woman what she thought the best thing about her. She replied, 'My heart. Because even after all I have been through, I still care about people. I still have a heart. They couldn't take that away from me.' With the tenacity of this young woman's heart in mind, I am honored to have worked with Traffick911 this summer."
Ellie Norris, Class of 2014
Project: " Identifying and sourcing surplus medical equipment for medical centers constructed in rural Senegal" at American Friends of Le Korsa Bethany, CT
"It was incredible to be working with people around the globe with so many different perspectives and experiences...It opened my eyes to how truly interconnected the world is...I will continue to serve... for the rest of my life, and do my best to embrace the role of servant leader, an ideal to which I aspire."
Marissa Ocampo, Class of 2013
Project: “Analyzing data to identify priorities for Nicaraguan families affected by Chronic Kidney Disease” at La Isla Foundation Chichigalpa, Nicaragua.
"I've learned so much this summer- about world relations, the research process, and myself- and after all of it, I know there is still so much more that I want and have to learn."
Graduate Students
Andrew Laird, Class of 2013
Project: “Contributing to the enforcement of ethical norms and justice in the business world and among corporate lawyers” at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Fort Worth, TX.
"The last several years have seen many egregious ethical violations in the financial, legal, and business worlds. The government "watchdog" of the financial markets, the SEC is uniquely positioned to make an impact in what has become an irresponsible and greed-driven system."
Yvonne Glass, Class of 2012
Project: “Helping refugees rebuild their lives by planning community events to raise awareness” at International Rescue Committee Dallas, TX.
"Seeing such a tangible example of the work the IRC does was beyond gratifying. These stories of refugees who have not only survived but also thrived in their new environment reinvigorated my passion for human rights and confirmed my purpose in choosing my career path."