Five University graduates receive scholarships from the Regional Government for international internships

Five graduates of the University of Navarra, with scholarships from the Government of Navarra, are doing international internships. They are doing so in non-EU countries thanks to a training program within the framework of the PIN 4 International Plan, aimed at recent graduates with ties to Navarra, either because they were born in the region, have a foral civil status or have been registered in Navarra for at least one year prior to the publication of the call for applications.

In the last call of the Government of Navarra, the lucky ones who are doing 6 months of internships outside the European Union are: María Bergera Matafrom the Double Degree in Philosophy and Journalism, who is in Lima, Peru; Juan Larrañaga Berrio, graduate in Audiovisual Communication, who continues his training in Ecuador; the graduates in Biochemistry Adriana Vega Zuza y Lucía Vegas Petrinawho are in the United Kingdom; and a Marketing graduate - she prefers not to give her name - who is in San José, Costa Rica.

María Bergera Mata, from Cizur Menor, has been doing her internship since January in Fábrica 360an audiovisual production company in Lima specialized in creating corporate content for different brands, where she works as a production assistant in the business. "I am in charge of attend all stages of the audiovisual process of each project: from pre-production, through production and ending with post-production and deliverables. This allows me to get to know in depth all the phases of an audiovisual project , from start to finish, from the logistical to the most creative side," explains María Bergera.

María Bergera is doing an internship at Fábrica 360, an audiovisual production company in Lima, Peru. CEDIDA

In addition to learning a lot at the professional level, at the staff level she defines it as a "very enriching experience". "I think I will never forget it. I am learning to adapt, to value more what I have at home and to face new situations with a different attitude. In the end, living an experience like this not only shapes you as a professional, but also as a person. I feel very grateful to be here and to be learning so much, although I recognize that there are days that are hard," she adds. She assures that this scholarship, which will end in July, is meaning a lot to her: "I feel that it is a recognition of my efforts during the years of the degree program, and also a unique opportunity to put into internship all that I have learned in a real environment. It's not every day that you get the chance to work in another country, and even less so with the support of institutions such as the University of Navarra and the Government of Navarra. 

Juan Larrañaga Berrio from Pamplona is also in Latin America, but a few kilometers away, specifically at the Balsa Surf Camp hotel. Balsa Surf Camplocated in the tourist coastal area of Montañita in Ecuador. He has been a social media manager and content creator since March and has a big challenge ahead of him: "Given the current political and security crisis in the country, tourism has dropped considerably. That's why my goal is to use social networks to show that we are in a quiet area that is still attractive for a vacation". "I think it is essential to get out of the comfort zone and see different realities. I know I am lucky and I feel the responsibility to take advantage of every second here, whether at work or outside, to come back a much more complete person," adds Juan Larrañaga, who will finish his internship in September.

Adriana Vega Zuza, from Estella, and Lucía Vegas Petrina, from Pamplona, are doing an internship at the Quadram Institute Bioscience in Norwich, UK. CEDIDA

On the other side of the pond, Biochemistry graduates Adriana Vega Zuza, from Estella, and Lucía Vegas Petrina, from Pamplona, have been doing internships at the Quadram Institute Bioscience since January. Quadram Institute Bioscience in Norwich, UK, and will finish in July. "We are working in a research team that focuses on the interaction between gut microbiota and human health. Our group is very dynamic and has many collaborative projects, so we are learning many laboratorytechniques," they explain. 

"It has been a unique opportunity to grow, improve our level of English, adapt to a new culture and work environment, and gain autonomy and independence. In addition to enriching my CV, this experience is helping me a lot to decide on possible future career paths," says Adriana Vega. For her part, Lucía Vegas emphasizes: "These scholarships are a real privilege, since living abroad involves a great economic cost. They are also unique experiences and I think that being able to start my professional degree program outside Spain will add value to my CV, not only because of the work experience, but also because of everything that living in another country entails at a staff level. In the final, I feel very grateful for this opportunity that I have been given.