Public Affairs

Tess Constant, Quincy Kissack, and Wyatt Waterbury are this summer's graduate students who have joined the AUK community to intern in Kuwait. Arriving from the United States, they will be working in various departments within the University until the end of July. The AUK Graduate Internship Program is celebrating its tenth year of operation, having brought interns from 20 different US universities. The program usually provides two positions each summer, but to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the program, a third position has been funded by the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait through a grant from the U.S. Department of State.

Tess Constant completed her undergraduate degree in hospitality and is currently pursuing her Master's degree in higher education with an emphasis in student affairs both at the University of Arkansas. She has four years of experience working with international students through the International Students and Scholars (ISS) office on campus, including working with the Visiting Student Program in the ISS working with many students from Korea and Brazil. Post-graduation she completed an internship abroad in Scotland and worked in the international office of Scotland's Rural College learning about the ERASMUS program and researching strategic partners within the school to create a smooth study abroad experience for new students. Commenting on her work at AUK, Tess says, "I'm interning in the Counseling Center and Academic Student Success Center. I've enjoyed coming alongside programs and projects in both centers to support student engagement. I look forward to applying what I'm learning at AUK to my graduate assistantship this fall as well as my future career as a student affairs professional."

Quincy Kissack recently completed her Master's degree in Student Affairs from the University of Maryland (UMD). At UMD, Quincy worked with co-curricular leadership programs in the Leadership & Community Service-Learning office. She has also taught several courses in leadership and disability studies, and has advised two international alternative break experiences to the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. For her undergraduate degree, Quincy attended St. Norbert College in Green Bay, WI, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies with minors in Spanish and Leadership Studies. Quincy intends to pursue a career working with leadership development, student activities, service-learning, or international education and eventually hopes to work in higher education administration. In August, Quincy will begin a full-time position at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as the Assistant Director of the Student Association.

Quincy will be working in the Office of Student Life, and in the Office of President. Her internship on campus has provided her with further insight into collegiate life at AUK, as she explains, "I came to Kuwait for the professional internship opportunity, and I've learned so much working with colleagues in Student Life and the Office of the President in my first month here. I'm grateful that I've also gotten to connect with people and to learn more about Kuwaiti culture."

Wyatt Waterbury received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon, with a degree in Business Marketing and a minor in Arabic. Wyatt is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Student Affairs at Iowa State University (ISU). At ISU, he works with the International Students and Scholars Office, as well as International Admissions, while also advising the International Student Council. He is very interested in the field of International Education, and believes that international students do not receive the full amount of attention that they deserve in higher education. Wyatt's life motto is, "When was the last time you did something for the first time?" He is constantly pushing himself out of his comfort zone, looking for opportunities to create new experiences. He views the internship as a significant experience to help him in his studies to improve international students' educational journeys, "Completing projects across a variety of departments on campus is what has made this internship stand apart from my past experiences. I've built relationships with professionals who emphasize student success throughout their work and challenge me to get the most out of my time at AUK. Expanding beyond the United States has provided me a more well-rounded understanding of social justice on a global scale, and I am excited to implement what I have learned here into my future work as a student affairs professional."

Wyatt will be working in the Academic Support Services, and in the Office of Admissions.

The internship program started in 2009, and in 2011 won the NASPA Best Practice Award for International Exchange Programs. It is designed to provide graduate students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain experience within the professional areas of Student Affairs/Student Services. Several past interns have returned to work professionally in the Arabian Gulf region, and almost half have conducted presentations at either the NASPA Annual Conference or Gulf Region Conference following their experience. Through these collective experiences, interns gain a deeper understanding of higher education administration, are provided multiple placements to gain varying perspectives and experiences, and acquire specific skill sets which will help prepare them for a career in higher education.