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| Students participating in the Philadelphia Center get the opportunity to experience life in an urban center. (Les Byerley/istockphoto.com photo) |
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For Ohio Wesleyan students interested in studying abroad, but are held back by the language barrier, the
Philadelphia Center could be the answer to all their worries.
According to the its Web site "the Philadelphia Center provides opportunities for professional exploration, intellectual development, and personal growth -- in the heart of one of America's largest and most dynamic cities."
"The program in Philadelphia is [a great] opportunity for students with a variety of interest," says Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Blake Michael, director of the off-campus study program.
The program offers students "more than 800 internships," as well as "over 900 field placements, one-of-a-kind seminars, and independent living".
Students can receive internships in a variety of professional fields, such as fine arts, business, communication and media, law and government, health service, and social services.
Michael says the Philadelphia Center tries to make the experience as if students had just graduated from college and are out in the "real world" looking for their first jobs.
"They help students put together resumes, cover letters, and help them set up interviews with two or three potential internships," says Michael.
Although the center assists students, the experience is still very intense.
Once students arrive in Philly, their first couple of weeks are spent in limbo. Housing is unsure, some students stay in hotels while they look for apartments. And although students are guaranteed an internship, they aren't immediately placed in one. Students are forced to compete with students from their own school, as well as students from different schools, to receive their top pick of internships.
Although the Philadelphia Center might seem like all work and no play, students get to experience a lifestyle different than that in Delaware. Like in the overseas programs in Spain and Australia, students that go to Philadelphia get to experience a new way of life.
The Philadelphia Center is located in the heart of Philly, opening students up to a cultural urban setting. The Center is within walking distance of "half a dozen theaters, several major art and science museums, the city's main shopping district, South Street (with its buzzing and colorful night scene), the Kimmel Center (home of the Philadelphia Orchestra), the Italian Market, Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell, and scores of top-notch restaurants."
Due to the fact that the Philadelphia Center is an internship-based experience, students work four days a week, attend a seminar once a week where they reflect on their work experience, and take one elective course. They are gone a full semester and receive four credits.
Even though they aren't being paid, OWU students that take part in the Philadelphia Center are getting much more than money. They're getting a head start on life after college.
-Meagan Redding
