Interview with Caterina
Who are you? Present yourself
Hey, my name is Caterina and I’m both irish and italian! I’m 24 years old. I studied psychology and I am a very social and open person. I have always loved being around people and I like finding new places to challenge myself and to visit more in depth. I enjoy active activities but I also enjoy relaxing 😀
Why did you choose to do an Erasmus Plus Traineeship Programme?
I chose to take part in this experience to gain some practical experience after college. Once I found out about the internship, I made the decision to take part in it because it was very relevant to what I had studied, was a good experience abroad and it was in Spanish, which I wanted to practice because I studied it in school.
Why in Spain with Mille Cunti?
I have always liked Spain, I’ve travelled to different parts of Spain already. Spanish is the language I like the most and I also wanted the chance to practice it. I found out about Mille Cunti from my friend, who took part in an internship in Malta, the people who organized that programme knew about Mille Cunti Association in Spain and that they were looking for interns. I looked at their Facebook page and I liked the look of it and the events they organized.
What were your tasks during the internship?
My tasks during the internship were: creating activities for the hospital together with my colleagues, performing the activities in the hospital, taking part in events which were valuable to the association, having a spanish class once a week and completing other necessary paperwork.
Did you learn something? Did this experience improve your personal and professional profile?
This experience has definitely improved my personal and professional profile. I have learned so much from it and I have met so many good people and have been part of such a good environment. On a personal level I feel like there have been so many healthy and fun relationships with everyone involved and on a professional level I feel so much more comfortable in increasing well-being for people (in general, not only in the hospital) and that I can do it completely independently. On a professional level I also liked what it taught about how to work in a healthy work environment.
What would you like to do after this experience?
After this experience I want to work a bit to gain some money and then I would like to further my studies. However I have decided I would love to volunteer in doing something similar to this in the meantime.
Did the internship change somehow your perspective/role contribution of psychology in society?
Yes it did, I loved how we didn’t see things so much from a psychology perspective but it’s more about understanding people with mental issues, what they need and when. What works for them and what doesn’t. I feel like it gave a very valuable experience in actually knowing and working with them rather than diagnosing them.
What would you like to tell a person that is wondering if they should start this experience or not?
I would tell them to not be afraid of the barriers they think they might have because you will be really followed and helped throughout the experience. Your progress and weaknesses will be monitored and what you think will be hard won’t actually be at the end of it all. You will make such nice relationships with the patients because doesn’t everyone love a little laugh. I would definitely recommend this to more students, it’s such a great experience, it’s a great way to gain work experience, meet new people, speak a new language, learn a new culture and travel.
