Joslyne Cook

International Experience Country:
New Zealand
Cohort Year:
2012
Home Institution:

Thiel College

Heinz Programming Area:
Arts and Culture
International Experience Summary:

Joslyne Cook interned for four weeks in Wellington, New Zealand, at two separate work places. Sounz, the center for New Zealand music, gave Joslyne opportunities that the employers didn’t even foresee, as they took the risk of having their first intern in their office. Since time was of the essence, they luckily found the perfect job for their foreign assistant. It was Joslyne’s job to create a sampler of choral music to present at the New Zealand Association of Choral Director’s Convention that was scheduled near the end of her time abroad. Not only was she able to complete and fulfill her studies in a broad range of choral music, but she was also able to participate in the convention’s workshops. Joslyne was able to promote the company in a way they never could have imagined and further continued to explore her own musical efforts. The second job at Goodtime Music Academy was a further exploration into a contemporary view of the arts in New Zealand, as she worked alongside music tutors and assisted with primary school music performances. She was able to perform random tasks throughout her workday and actually surround herself with typical “kiwis” and learn about their cultural aspects. During her international experience, Joslyne surprisingly made a remarkable self-discovery; she decided that she would like to continue with higher education by pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in choral conducting in the future.

Community Engagement Experience Summary:

CEE Title: Mini Boot Camp

Joslyne assisted in the creation of Thiel’s first Mini Boot Camp, a two-part event that raised awareness for men and women currently serving in the Marines. The first part of the event entitled “Movies for Marines” was a collection of more than one hundred DVDs donated by local community members and Thiel students.  The second part of the event was the “Mini Boot Camp.” During this three-hour event, members of the U.S. Marines Corps conducted a Combat Fitness Test in the Rissell-Schreyer Dome at Thiel College. The combat fitness test challenged each participant’s strength, endurance, and speed which provided them with a glimpse of Marine training. At the end of the event, the Marines were presented with the DVD donations.