Upon arrival at London Heathrow airport, I was still baffled at the fact that I was actually in London. Luckily there were three other University of Dreams participants on my flight in and we were able to figure out how to get to Arthur Tattersal Hall together. After figuring out that Lauren's luggage had been lost, we hopped in a cab and off we went! Arriving at UCL was so welcoming. The UOD staff could put everyone's face with a name, and they were more than helpful. After check in, I found myself with some free time to unpack, rearrange furniture, and wait for my roommate, Laura, to arrive. When she got there, we met up with a few girls we had met briefly and headed to the nearest pub. Our first drink in London--it was monumental. I have to say that my first night in London may have topped them all--we somehow got into an exclusive club and danced the night away. It was the perfect beginning to the perfect summer.

     A few days later, it was time to go to work and meet our boss. I worked with another girl, Katie, from University of Dreams, at a prestigious photography agency, Patricia McMahon Photography. My experience there was, to say the least, amazing. UOD definitely was successful in placing me at a company that matched me and I had a blast!! My duties included assembling photographers portfolios, assisting on photo shoots, planning photo shoots, and some office tasks. My boss, Patricia was an amazing woman--at one point I got to ride around London in her car with her and she told me how she came to be the success she is today. She is truly an inspiration to me. There were only 6 people in the whole office, and I enjoyed meeting each and every one of them. I even got to spend some time with them outside of the office as they showed Katie and I the ropes of London. I miss them all the time, and I  miss working at the office. Patirica even invited me to intern at her office in NYC this summer!

I would have to say that one of my fondest memories was when I got to attend an Arena Magazine party with the office. There were some 'hot' British bands there and some top British models. There was an open champagne and margarita bar...needless to say it was a great time and we got to meet some great people!

As a result of this experience, I gained irreplacable friends, great business contacts, an excellent letter of recomendation from my boss, and memories to last a lifetime. I HIGHLY recommend this program to anyone who has even the slightest interest in interning. I had never heard of the program when I applied and did it pretty much on a whim, and I will never regret that choice. It has truly had a huge impact on my life!

"Don't be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams."
--Anonymous