By Arpan Josan

This summer was definitely the most adventurous one I have ever had. I fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine to study abroad, and it led me to land an internship in none other than London. I was able to apply and earn an internship with Core Arts, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help adults who struggle with their mental health through creative classes. Some of these classes include landscaping, art classes, and ceramics. 

During my time at this organization, I met so many incredible people, both staff and students. One of the classes I assisted was the landscaping class. I was never a huge gardener, so I was a bit intimidated by this new experience. At first, it was a bit tough, as one of my first weeks was during the heat wave that impacted all of London. Even though I would end up sweaty, and dirt would accumulate in my shoes and under my fingernails, I started enjoying the classes due to how passionate both the students and the teachers were about agriculture and trying to make the planet a better place for everyone. On top of partaking in these classes, one of my other responsibilities was to conduct case studies with students to better understand how the landscaping classes affected their lives. This was one of my favorite tasks, as I had the opportunity to get to know the students and their connection with the garden on another level. Although I won’t miss the sticky feeling I felt every time I left that garden, I’ll truly miss the passion that always filled the air during those classes. 

Something that I wasn’t expecting during this internship was leading a class of my own. Creative writing has always been a hobby of mine and something that led me to becoming an English major in the first place. This was definitely nerve-wracking for me since I never taught a class on my own before. I had to create material from scratch and hope my students would enjoy it. The class was pretty small, around 5 students, but they were very lively and eager to start writing. Even with the small size, time would pass so quickly. It felt rewarding to know that these people enjoyed a class that I had so much anxiety about.            

When I wasn’t busy with my internship, I spent my free time exploring England. One of my favorite places I visited was definitely the Seven Sisters cliffs. The views are something I will never forget, and the same goes for the journey there. My friend and I got off at the wrong bus stop, which forced us to walk 20 minutes through the woods to our actual destination. We were already out of breath and we hadn’t even started the hike. Even with a rocky start, we managed to safely get to the cliffs without any (serious) injuries. The area was so beautiful, and the sights are something I will truly never forget.       

Arpan on top of one of the Seven Sister Cliffs.

Although I will deeply miss my European summer, I can’t wait to see what The Delphian comes up with during this semester!