By Katie Boutwell, Mali Rising Research Intern
We asked Katie Boutwell, our new summer intern, to answer a few questions about herself and the work she will be tackling this summer. We are excited to have Katie join us this summer — even given our work-at-home, social-distancing limitations we know she’ll contribute great things to our mission. Get to know Katie below!
Tell us a little about yourself Katie.
Hi everyone! My name is Katie Boutwell and I’m in-between my junior and senior year at Westminster College in Sugarhouse, Utah studying Global Affairs, with an interest focused on the Middle East. I am a triplet with all three of us currently in college. My interest in Mali Rising was sparked after meeting Merritt and seeing an opportunity to make a difference worldwide, while continuing my learning about second language acquisition abroad.
What will you be doing for Mali Rising?
As an intern, I will be working to find potential ways to incorporate programming to strengthen our students’ French skills in Mali. In addition, I will be working on finding potential solutions for remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finding ways to create an easier transition to secondary schools will be one of my main goals. Through this, I hope to learn from other societies who have transitioned through this process and propose recommendations from my learnings. I will also be working with other young adults to interest others to volunteer with Mali Rising. Through this work, I hope to expand the reach of Mali Rising to the younger generations as well as increase the involvement of our community. Along with this, I will be working to come up with more available opportunities in getting involved with the Mali Rising community. I will share some of my experiences and research with the Mali Rising community through blog posts throughout my internship.
What attracted you to this position?
After meeting Merritt in a class this past semester, my interest was piqued! I wanted to learn more about Mali Rising and saw an opportunity to make a difference worldwide, while continuing my learning about second language acquisition abroad. After she mentioned an internship focusing on the communication goals that Mali Rising had in mind, I knew it was a perfect fit.
What do you do hope to take away from your internship?
I am excited to learn and improve my communication skills through researching case studies, scholarly articles and various stories around the globe to see how I can potentially make a difference. I hope to come away from my internship knowing that I assisted in making a difference in these individuals’ lives and contributing to the success of others. I am also excited to experience nonprofit work, as well as the role it has in global affairs.
What do you do for fun outside of school and interning?
Outside of school and interning I love hiking with my dog (his name is Joey) and spending time with my family. During the winter you can catch me next to a fire place catching up on good documentaries. I also love to travel--this past year I spent time in 3 new countries!
