Garrett Weigel, of Orland Hills, returned to campus after a transformative two-month summer internship experience working for an international organization in Berlin, Germany.

Last fall, Garrett wanted to pursue a summer internship and began searching for local opportunities. He hoped to gain real-world experience and practically apply what he has learned at Moraine Valley. After several months of searching, he 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,” Garrett said.

After applying and interviewing, he was selected as the coworking space intern with Impact Hub, a global network of coworking spaces. Garrett’s fluency in German, added to his experience working in Germany two years prior, made this the ideal summer internship opportunity for him.

“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 Garrett. “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, Garrett shared he is happy with the decision he made to look abroad for a summer internship. Looking ahead to the 2025-2026 academic year, he 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 Garrett. “It’s something you’re not going to regret and something that will stay with you for the rest of your life.”