Freeman Fellowship

APIA & AMES Awarded $260,000 For Freeman Intern Fellowships in Asia

APIA major Maggie Chu ’20 interned at Singapore’s Training Vision Institute, a professional education and development center. Her immediate supervisor was Dr. Kirpal Singh, TVI’s Chief Academic Officer. Maggie plans on relocating to Singapore to explore career opportunities as a result

of her internship. Photo Courtesy of Maggie Chu.

BY ANDY HARRIS Charles Center

In summer 2019, twenty William & Mary students departed for internships in Asia this summer through the Freeman Intern Fellowship Program. They returned with souvenirs in their suitcase, professional work experience on their resume and a better understanding of the career path in their future.

The Freeman Intern Fellowship program places undergraduates in structured summer internship opportunities throughout East Asia. Locations include Tokyo, Beijing, Singapore, Seoul, the Philippines, and many more. Each student receives around $5,000 to defray living and travel expenses.

The purpose behind the Freeman Intern Fellowships program is to introduce American students to Asia. Through the internships, students will clarify their career understanding of Asian cultures. interests and gain professional Moody is on the pre-med track experience in a real-world with plans to major in chemistry setting, while improving their and Asia and Middle-Eastern Studies. She said her

“I felt like I was actually making an impact in the Freeman internship work HekaBio was doing. Although I was an intern, I gave her fresh insights was not just getting coffee” ― Daria Moody ‘22 into the business side of medicine and working in a professional team.

One of these students is Daria “I was able to see how a new

Moody ’22 who interned with drug or medical device goes from

HekaBio in Tokyo. HekaBio conception, through trials, approval pursues healthcare innovations processes, and all the way to in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, something a doctor can prescribe,” medical devices and advanced Moody said. “I felt like I was actually therapies. During her internship making an impact in the work

Moody conducted medical market HekaBio was doing. Although I was research, compiled corporate an intern, I was not just getting portfolios and revenue projections, coffee — I was able to work under translated reports, and summarized different people and learn how each and presented her findings to her of their specialties came together to colleagues. accomplish company goals.”

When Freeman students return stateside they enroll in a COLL 300 course with their fellow Freeman interns. During the course, each fellow develops a research project or creative work that stems from their experience in Asia.

Francis Tanglao Aguas, Director of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Studies Program and the Faculty Director of the Freeman Intern Fellowship Program, teaches the program’s COLL 300 course, which he calls a “think tank” split into three segments. APIA major Luigi Almirante ’21 successfully found his own internship at the University of the Philippines-Natural Research Science Institute, Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions Research Laboratory (UP-NSRI-PHEIRL Photo Courtesy of Luigi Almirante.

First, students present a recap of their internship to their fellow interns, and exciting stimuli,” Tanglao Aguas Cambodia, an extension of the same and workshop ideas for their final said. “The Freeman Intern Fellowship internship partner located in Manila project. Second, they host info sessions program is crucial to our students’ where W&M students interned the to shed light on the program for education because it allows our past two summers. The second new prospective Freeman applicants. Finally, students to fully encounter places and internship partnership is with the they conduct their research project people beyond the books, digital media, American Indonesian Exchange or creative work and generate new and classroom discussions. As W&M Foundation in Jakarta. knowledge born from their internship. graduates the leaders of tomorrow, the As a Professor of Theatre and Asian experience of humanizing others they The Freeman Intern Fellows program & Pacific Islander American Studies, would not normally encounter in person is administered by the Charles Center, Tanglao Aguas said he is fascinated is but all too vital.” which works together with the Program by the diverse ways W&M students in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and produce knowledge that serves their The Freeman Intern Fellowships the Program in Asian & Pacific Islander varied professions. program is now accepting student American Studies to provide highapplications for the Summer of 2021. As impact internship opportunities in Asia

“The idea is that our creativity the program enters its fourth year, there for W&M students. and intellect is always served by new are up to 24 internship placements for applicants to choose from ranging As its name would suggest, this across East Asia. Students program is made possible by a generous may also identify their own grant from the Freeman Foundation. internship in the region. Prior grants from the Freeman To learn more about the Foundation led to the creation of the available opportunities APIA and AMES programs. and to apply, visit the Charles Center’s website. “It demonstrates how deeply the The deadline to apply is generosity of the Freeman Foundation November 1st, 2020. has impacted the fortification of Asian Studies and internationalization at Two new internships William & Mary,” Tanglao Aguas said. .Professor Francis Tanglo-Aguas founded the APIA-AMES were introduced in “Because of the Freemans’ commitment Freeman Intern Fellowships in Asia program. He and Chelsie Craddock visited the BayaniBrew team in the Philippines. 2020. The first is with to Asian Studies at William & Mary, From left: MCris Contino, Non-Executive Director; Vincenzo the Affiliated Network our university has one of the strongest Ciummo, Executive Director; Ron Dizon, Co-Founder; and Erwin del Castillo, General Manager. Photo Courtesy of Francis for Social Accountability programs studying Asia and Asians in Tanglao Aguas. (ANSA) in Phnom Penh, the United States.”