What the Interns Have to Say…

Housing

“It is not often that a student lives in accommodation with Aston Martins, Jaguars and BMWs in the parking lot. There is plenty to do within a five minute walk of the apartments, including some very chic bars, pubs, restaurants, cinemas and one of the largest clubs in Wales. Cardiff is a great city and has an excellent cultural scene.”

- Carolyn Campbell, Fall 2001

“The flats have been really great.  Honestly, I do not know when the next time will be when I live somewhere so nice.  The location of three of the four the flats is good, only a 10-15 minute walk in the morning, and the location of the 4^th flat, which is right across the street from the Assembly, is absolutely fantastic”.  

–Neil Waggoner, Winter 2008

“Our flat is amazing and it is only a block from the Assembly so my roommate and I have a very short walk to work every day.  We are in a great location, being so close to work but also really close to the Cardiff city centre.  We have been having a blast in Cardiff and meeting a lot of new, fun people.”

                                                            –Julia Salahshour, Fall 2007

Work at the Assembly

"I've had friends with internships with U.S. Congress members, and in my opinion, interning at the National Assembly was a more beneficial experience than working in D.C. The one-on-one contact with Assembly members and their staff is virtually unparalleled in a political internship."

                                         - Lindsey Nelson, Winter 2004

“The internship experience is a great opportunity for all and let me tell you why. First off, when else will you ever get the chance to spend fifteen weeks in a foreign country? Take advantage of it. The fact you get to undertake this adventure while gaining work experience in the National Assembly for Wales is ideal. Sixteen credit hours, no classes, come on, does it get any better?”

                                        - Cory Riordan, Fall 2001

“Right now, I've been working at the Assembly for five days.  I'm loving every minute of it.  My job has me working in the central Labour office with some of the coolest people in the Assembly.  So many people in the building are young, it makes it a great place to work.  The people I'm working with immediately put me to work on several different projects, making me feel like part of the Labour team immediately.  I've already learned so much about the party and the Assembly, it's amazing to think that I've been here under a week."

                                                            - Mark Chapman, Fall 2001

“The work is great so far.  I'm receiving a good amount - not too much, not too little.  Sometimes it gets more hectic than other times but I don't have trouble getting everything done.  I write press releases, create databases, arrange surgeries (meetings), write briefings, write articles for newsletters, formulate supplementary questions, and other various other tasks.  I think I am well integrated into the office.  My support staff member seems to trust me and rely on me.  Everyone is really nice and it's a pleasure to work at the Assembly.”

–Karen Adams, Winter 2006

Travel

“We are definitely making plans to travel—the five of us have booked our trip for the 10-day recess period.  We are going to Italy (Rome, Florence, and Venice) as well as Prague.  Another intern and I also have booked weekend trips through a program in Swansea to go to Paris and Edinburgh.  I also hope to make it to Amsterdam and London if time permits.  Either way, everything is fabulous and I don’t think I’m going to come home.  I am having a blast in Cardiff… I absolutely love it here.” 

–Meryl Smith, Fall 2007

“I have travelled a lot.  So far I have been to almost 10 different towns in the UK - I do at least one town on Saturday and a different one on Sunday.  This past weekend another intern and I went to the Canary Islands.  I'm spending next week in Paris since it's recess.  The group is also going up to Edinburgh in March.” 

–Karen Adams, Winter 2006