Local Internships Forge International Connections

Interning with a local nonprofit has given some international studies students a firsthand perspective on immigrant community services amid a rapidly changing landscape for refugee aid.

International Studies and French double major Catalina Veldwijk ’28 was one of six UNCW students interning with Church World Services Wilmington for the spring 2025 semester. There, they helped refugees navigate a variety of services and processes.

From helping with budgeting and tax forms to résumé workshops and case filing, Veldwijk said the internship entailed a little bit of everything. Talking clients and families through processes (and some language barriers) was particularly rewarding for her.

“I think that was a really beautiful experience for me — it just opened my eyes to how small the world is and how we’re all so similar and interconnected,” she said.

Having previously volunteered for CWS as an English-Spanish conversation partner for refugees, Veldwijk said it was a welcome challenge to help in an expanded capacity. And with the nonprofit losing federal funding for refugee and immigrant support services this year and dramatically reducing its staff, it helped fill a need to serve hundreds of clients in and around Wilmington.

With her sights set on studying global governance and refugee matters into graduate school, Veldwijk said the experience informed her First Year Research Experience project and encouraged her to help the nonprofit with refugee aid in the future.