Clara Wells-Dang '27 Spends Summer Researching Heritage and History in Vietnam
Name: Clara Wells-Dang
Class Year: 2027
Major: Psychology
Minor: Creative Writing
Hometown: Arlington, Va.
Internship Organization: Vietnam Society
Internship Title: Research Intern
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
What's happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!
I am working as an intern for Vietnam Society, a non-profit organization promoting Vietnamese art and culture as a vehicle for deepening U.S.-Vietnam relations. Vietnam Society connects Vietnamese business and culture with audiences in the U.S. and around the world through programs showcasing Vietnamese fine art, performing art, film, literature, and cuisine. This summer, I am conducting research on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites and Intangible Heritage Items in Vietnam. My research contributes to the organization's soon-to-be-launched website, which will provide accessible and high quality educational content on Vietnamese heritage. In my role, I travel to meet with experts on Vietnamese history and conservation and gain on-the-ground experience on the country's UNESCO sites and intangible heritage items. I synthesize my field notes, conduct supplementary research, deliver site reports, and work alongside the Vietnam Society team to integrate video and visual media into the final product.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I applied to intern with Vietnam Society because of my interest in the ways art and culture can bring people closer together. I align with Vietnam Society’s focus on culture and the arts as vehicles for empathy-building, especially in the context of the 2023 U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Initially, I had been searching for an opportunity that would allow me to travel to Vietnam for the summer and deepen my knowledge about its culture. I found Vietnam Society’s work meaningful on a personal level—having grown up in both Vietnam and the U.S.—and knew I wanted to support the organization this summer.
What is most rewarding about your internship?
This internship has been a great opportunity to deepen my understanding of Vietnamese culture and gain exposure to the important organizations and dedicated people working in the realm of heritage and conservation. It has been exciting to use my Vietnamese language skills in the research by interviewing experts and reading journals and exhibitions in Vietnamese. Last semester, I took a history course at Haverford College called Global Asian Diasporas, and it has been rewarding to intersect my knowledge of Vietnamese-Americans as I consider the audience of my research. Ultimately, I understand my work as contributing to a larger effort to provide the millions of young Vietnamese living overseas access to knowledge that will help them connect with their roots.
Through the Career and Civic Engagement Center Beyond Bryn Mawr Summer Internship Program, Bryn Mawr students pursue opportunities in fields such as nonprofits, government and law, health care, research, sciences, business, and the arts. Thanks to the generosity of our alumnae/i and donors, over 150 students across all academic departments are funded to pursue unpaid internships or research experiences in the U.S. and abroad each year.