By Andi Anderson
The Robert H. Maxwell International Service Learning Scholarship continues to create valuable learning opportunities for students by supporting internships and service-learning experiences in the United States and around the world. This year, seven global resource systems students completed summer internships, while another student is scheduled to participate during the fall.
The scholarship helps students gain practical experience, explore different cultures, and prepare for future careers. Participants traveled to countries including Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Ghana, Italy, and Kenya, as well as Mississippi in the United States.
Soliana Janni, a senior in global resource systems and political science, completed an internship with the El Terreno Cultural Exchange Center in Ecuador. Working alongside interns and midwives in Guaranda County, she helped support ancestral midwifery practices through workshops, fundraising efforts, and relationship-building initiatives with local public health institutions.
Reflecting on the experience, Janni said, “My time in Ecuador taught me that some of the most meaningful learning happens outside of a classroom. I came to Ecuador hoping to contribute, but I left feeling that I had learned just as much from the women and communities I worked alongside. The experience strengthened my appreciation for cultural preservation and community leadership.”
Lincoln Chan, a senior in global resource systems and wildlife and fisheries conservation and ecology, interned at Mississippi State University as a fieldwork technician. His work involved collecting black bear hair samples in the lower west Mississippi region. Researchers used the samples to help monitor bear populations and better understand wildlife trends.
Speaking about his experience, Chan said, “This experience, and the challenges, I faced have helped me build many skills that will serve me throughout my career, not just specifically in the academic/professional aspect, but also in personal growth.”
Julia Letsche, a senior in global resource systems and agricultural and rural policy studies, completed an internship with Self-Help International in Ghana. She assisted teachers working with girls in an after-school literacy program and helped establish learning assessment structures to support educational progress.
Letsche shared, “I fell in love with the work I was privileged to complete every single day. I also honed my passions in youth engagement, supporting women and girls, and education. This summer internship pushed me in ways I didn’t imagine possible but allowed me to learn so much about myself professionally and personally.”
The scholarship was established by David and Jane Acker in honor of Robert H. Maxwell, who mentored David Acker during an international development project in Tanzania. Since 2011, the scholarship has supported 64 students, enabling internships and service-learning experiences in 30 countries.
Janni emphasized the scholarship’s impact, saying, “This scholarship gave me the opportunity to participate in an experience that I may not otherwise have been able to pursue. More than funding an internship, the scholarship allowed me to build relationships, learn from a community different from my own and gain practical experience that has shaped the direction of my current and future career.”
Photo Credit: gettyimages-poike
Categories: Iowa, Education