CACSSS Student Jack Fitzgerald is the first UCC Student Intern at Project Children

25 Jul 2023

Earlier this summer, second-year BA Irish and Economics student Jack Fitzgerald packed his bags and travelled to the USA for an exciting internship courtesy of Project Children. Jack is of 14 current interns in this unique programme spread across New York, Pennsylvania and Colorado.

The Project Children charity is the brainchild of Denis Mulcahy and his brother Patrick Mulcahy. Denis, a native of Rockchapel, Cork, emigrated to New York in the 1960s, where he had a long, decorated career in the NYPD. During the 1960s and 1970s, Denis saw multiple news accounts of violence in Northern Ireland. He thought if he could bring Catholic and Protestant children from Northern Ireland to the USA for a summer together, they would benefit from the respite. Project Children was born in 1975, and over the next 40 years, over 23,000 children from Northern Ireland travelled to the USA during the summers. 

In 1995, the Project Children Internship Program began bringing third-level students from Ireland to the USA to live, work and volunteer. Jack Fitzgerald is the first UCC student to take part in the Project Children Internship Program. Hailing from Midleton, Co Cork, he lives at home with his parents, brother and sister and two dogs. Over the past two years, alongside his studies, Jack has worked as a retail staff member at Áras Mac Léinn, in Siopa 2, near the Boole Library. 

This summer, through his Project Children Internship, Jack lives in Boulder, Colorado, working as a Site Supervisor at Flatirons Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organisation. The project in which Jack works involves the development of sustainable and affordable housing in a trailer park just outside the city of Boulder. This project arose from the need to address the destruction of homes caused by flooding in recent years. Jack is enjoying his internship at Habitat and has especially enjoyed meeting new friends and gaining new skills.

He said:

Habitat is a volunteer-oriented organisation. Each day we have new volunteers. This dynamic brings diversity to the team, allowing me to meet people from different walks of life. I have learned so much; people have been incredibly kind and friendly

In terms of work, I have gained invaluable knowledge about construction techniques and the process of building homes. I have also learned how to lead a group in a professional setting effectively. These are life skills that I will undoubtedly utilise in the future

A good fit of each student to their individual internship is a key success of this program. After students apply, US and Irish Program Coordinators match student skill sets, current study area and employment experience with available opportunities.

UCC graduate Linda Croston works with Savvy Consulting Inc in New York and volunteers with Project Children. She said:

It is important that each intern is submersed in an internship relevant to their field of study to harness their current academic studies and gain valuable practical experience in the US. From there, they can utilise their honed experience as they progress on their future career paths worldwide.

During their time in the US, students stay with host families, the program's backbone. Linda said,

By living with American host families, the students are immersed in the family and experience US traditions and culture. The student becomes part of the family here, leading to a more authentic experience.

Jack is staying with Anthony and Darlene Massey, who have hosted Project Children interns for 25 years. He enjoys the warm welcome they have extended him, along with new experiences like attending baseball games and hiking 13,000 feet high mountains. 

Jack lives at home in Ireland and travelling to the US this summer has been a new experience he eagerly embraced. He does miss family and friends, and as a sports enthusiast, he misses watching GAA matches.

He said:

Although there are ways to watch GAA matches, catching the games with a seven-hour time difference can be challenging. I also miss activities with friends and family In Ireland. Still, I am making the most of my time in the United States!

Everyone at Áras Mac Léinn, UCC is delighted that Jack is enjoying his internship. 

Events and Media Manager Gráinne Thompson said:

Jack started with us during his secondary school TY work experience, and when he began his studies at UCC, he quickly became a valued member of our student centre staff. The experience he is enjoying on the internship programme at Project Children will be of considerable advantage to him personally and in his chosen career path.

We wish Jack the best for the rest of his internship and look forward to hearing about his next adventure!

How to Defuse a Bomb – The Project Children Story

This August, Denis Mulcahy and the team at Project Children are "How to Defuse a Bomb – The Project Children Story" a powerful award-winning documentary, to Cork for a special screening. The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy, will receive Denis at Cork City Hall before the screening. Denis's family, friends and supporters of Project Children will gather for the highly anticipated occasion.

Tickets for the screening "How to Defuse a Bomb – The Project Children Story" on 11th August 2023 at The Pav, Carey's Lane can be purchased here