D.D. Hachar Students Traveling Far to Apply Knowledge Gained at TAMIU

Final exams are almost concluded at Texas A&M International University and bright sunshine should soon replace students' midnight study lamps.

While that picture may be true for some, two outstanding TAMIU students will use their summer vacation to participate in competitive internship programs in government and business sectors.

Maria González Escareño, a junior history major and a D.D. Hachar Honor student, is traveling to Washington, D.C. to work as an intern at the U.S. Department of Defense doing research on various world cultures.

Like her, Joseph Byrd, a sophomore business administration major and a D.D. Hachar Honor student, will travel to New York to test his professional skills in the Sponsors for Education Opportunity's (SEO) Investment Banking Summer Internship Program.

Both internships were competitive and the two say they welcome the challenge awaiting them.

"I wanted to take this opportunity because I'd like to pursue a master's degree in business at Harvard University," Byrd said, "Many of the students that go through this internship program are accepted to Harvard or get jobs on Wall Street."

In order to ensure his selection, Byrd said he started preparing early.

"They called me for an interview in Houston the Thursday prior to Spring Break, so I flew out there and the week after the break, I found that I had been chosen," Byrd said.

Byrd said his willingness to learn caught the attention of his interviewers.

"I want to know everything there is about business. I made it clear to them that I wanted to get as much exposure as I could get and that this would be one of my best chances to do so," he said.

Meanwhile, González Escareño said she hopes that the summer job opportunity will lead to a permanent position at the Department of Defense once she graduates.

"Being a history major, I've always had an interest in government. Hopefully, I'll get to work for the Department of Defense. I haven't thought of any other career than this," she said.

With these two internships, summer will offers both students a new horizon as they apply lessons from their hometown university to the real world real.

For further information, please contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at 326-2180, e-mail prmis@tamiu.edu or visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 268.

University office hours during the remainder of Spring semester will be 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Summer hours take affect May 15 when office hours will be from 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.