Meet Angel Barron-Rueda

July 4, 2025 jabarro2 3-min. read

Program/Term

Intern for NC State European Center in Prague, Summer 2025

What motivated you to pursue an internship at the NC State European Center?

My passion for international higher education and supporting student success abroad has been a driving force throughout my academic and professional journey. As both an NC State alum and a current student in the Master of Education in Higher Education Administration program, I’ve had the opportunity to engage deeply with global learning initiatives. Over the past year, I’ve been involved in supporting study abroad opportunities through the Study Abroad Office and the College of Education, where I’ve helped promote these opportunities and supported students preparing for international experiences.

“This internship not only aligns with my academic goals and global interests, but it also provides hands-on experience in a field of higher education.”

Having studied abroad four times during my undergraduate career, I’ve long been inspired to work in international programs and global education offices. The NC State European Center in Prague represents an ideal opportunity to build on that foundation. This internship not only aligns with my academic goals and global interests, but it also provides hands-on experience in a field of higher education that I greatly admire and aspire to contribute to professionally.

Can you outline the key responsibilities and tasks you handled during your internship?

Through this internship, I was responsible for providing support to undergraduate students completing the internship program and/or the classic program in Prague. I supported the European Center in Prague with student arrivals and the check-in process at the student residence hall and also Orientation sessions for both the Internship and Classic programs. Throughout my internship, I also served as support staff for many of the class excursions and visits, some of which included Radio Free Europe and the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. I also supported internship students by facilitating a mental health while abroad session and was able to engage with and understand how students were feeling about this new experience studying abroad. My final deliverable for the office was to collect data from both programs on the level of engagement and the accessibility of the Prague student portal for users.

What is the most significant lesson you’ve gained from this experience?

The most valuable experience I’ve gained from this experience is understanding the logistics and behind-the-scenes operations of managing study abroad programs, including internship programs and the Summer Classic program. Understanding the difference in work cultures between the US and Czech culture and how they operate their day-to-day operations to make sure everything is running smoothly.

What has been the most thrilling project, event, or activity you’ve been involved in during your internship?

The most thrilling activity during my internship was being a support staff for our 3-day in-country excursion to Cesty Krumolv in the south region of Czech Republic! Throughout these three days, we toured and learned about the town’s history, visited the castle, explored the gardens, and went rafting!

“Understanding the difference in work cultures between the US and Czech culture and how they operate their day-to-day operations to make sure everything is running smoothly.”

In what ways has this internship experience influenced your personal and professional growth?

This experience truly allowed me to see the behind-the-scenes operations of study abroad programs and has fueled my interest in international higher education. I truly love engaging with students and supporting both their personal and academic goals. Through this experience, I was able to engage with both the internship and classic students, and I truly believe I made a positive impact and built professional relationships with them. The best thing about this experience is that I know I will see them back in Raleigh and continue to support their academic goals as I return to my graduate assistantship with the Poole College of Management Advising team.