G’day Mates! My name is Jackie Guhanick and I am currently studying abroad in the beautiful Sydney, Australia. I am a Junior at Penn State University majoring in B.S. Psychology, Business Option and minoring in Human Development and Family Studies. Although I was sad to leave the excitement of Penn State for a semester, coming to Sydney has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made… and it has only been a month!
When coming to Australia, I had hopes of learning about a different culture and immersing myself into a new environment. By obtaining an internship during my time here, I felt that I could enrich my experience even more. I am very interested in learning about cultural differences, and I believe real work experience here will give me a great sense of the differences between American and Australian work environments.
I am doing a marketing and social media internship this semester with Can Too- Run and Swim. Can Too is a non-profit organization that trains individuals of all fitness levels to compete in marathons, half-marathons, swim events and triathlons as a part of a team. By training and competing in the run and swim programs, the Can Too participants fundraise for Cure Cancer Australia which provides funding for young Australian cancer researchers in their quest to cure cancer.
I will be working primarily a full day a week for Can Too, as well as attending their events. During my time at Can Too I have begun to help with launching their new marking campaign, designed to strategically distribute brochures throughout Sydney to attract new Can Too participants. I have been contacting the team captains, coaches, and mentors of each training program, introducing the new marketing campaign and requesting that their participants distribute the new Can Too brochures to venues within their areas. I have also been helping improve their social media usage. I have been researching other non-profits within Australia to compare to Can Too and identify what has worked and what hasn’t for other organizations.
I also recently attended one of Can Too’s events, a 10K Fun Run which the participants use for practice. It was great to see all the hard work put in at the office translated into a real event and finally connect all that I’ve learned about Can Too into action.
It’s amazing that even though I’m thousands of miles away from home I have still found so much comfort here in Sydney. I have always found great enjoyment in being involved in my community and I believe Can Too will give me the opportunity to develop my connection with Sydney. It’s also amazing to be working for an organization that supports a cause I am so passionate about!