Moraine Valley Community College’s 2025-2026 student trustee Garrett Weigel, of Orland Hills, returned to campus after a transformative two-month summer internship experience working for an international organization in Berlin, Germany. However, Weigel’s journey to the internship started well before his first day in the office.
Last fall, Weigel knew he wanted to pursue a summer internship and began searching for local opportunities. Weigel hoped to gain real-world experience and practically apply what he has learned at Moraine Valley. After several months of searching, Weigel decided to take his search to the next level and search abroad.
“I found this internship through an organization called IES Abroad, which connects students with international organizations,” said Weigel. After applying and interviewing with several companies, he was selected as the coworking space intern with Impact Hub, a global network of coworking spaces. Weigel’s fluency in German, added to his experience working in Germany two years prior, made this the ideal summer internship opportunity for him.
During the internship, which spanned from May to July this summer, Weigel conducted market research on startups and venture capital firms across Europe, used automation tools like Zapier to optimize workflows and reduce manual tasks and supported community engagement initiatives. For Weigel, the internship offered more than just an extended trip to Berlin; it reinforced the career he wants to pursue.
“I felt that Impact Hub provided me with a greater foundation of what I want to do in my career because what I did there, in terms of my tasks, had more to do with my degree,” said Weigel. “This experience also taught me more about people on an individual level. Working alongside people from Germany, the UK, Australia and Argentina, I learned how awesome diversity in the workplace is and how it positively impacts overall work culture.”
Upon reflection, Weigel shared he is happy with the decision he made to look abroad for a summer internship, as it was a wonderful experience. Looking ahead to the 2025-2026 academic year, Weigel plans to take lessons learned in Berlin and apply them to his role as student trustee, including revising his perspective on leadership and maintaining effective time management.
“My advice for students thinking about doing a summer internship outside of the US or studying abroad would be, no matter what you think you can or can’t do in terms of study abroad, I would definitely recommend doing it,” said Weigel. “It’s something you’re not going to regret and something that will stay with you for the rest of your life.”
For news media inquiries, contact Joshua Lahey, Moraine Valley communications specialist, at (708) 974-5652 or laheyj5@morainevalley.edu.
