In a Summer Internship in Berlin, Camryn DeMordaunt Learned to Navigate Cultural Differences, Take Initiative and Use Communication to Make a Difference.
One week after getting married, Camryn DeMordaunt packed her bags and boarded a plane to Berlin, Germany. She and her new husband had never been to Germany, did not speak the language and were not quite sure what to expect.
“I had never been [to Germany], and neither of us spoke German,” DeMordaunt said. “This was a huge culture shock for us and definitely threw us out of our comfort zones.”
For DeMordaunt, a BYU public relations student from Holladay, Utah, the unfamiliarity was part of the adventure.
It was DeMordaunt’s interest in people and relationships that initially drew her to public relations, where she found a place to combine her curiosity about people with business strategy and creativity.
This past summer, those interests came together in an internship with a Berlin organization that helps migrants develop technology skills and connect with work opportunities. DeMordaunt’s primary responsibilities involved collecting, creating and managing content for the organization’s public-facing platforms.
She especially enjoyed photographing and creating content for the organization’s events.
“I loved getting to photograph and create content about the events hosted for migrants learning new technology skills in order for them to be able to receive work placement,” she said. “My dream has always been to do PR work for an organization that truly makes a difference in the world and this felt like just that.”
But the experience offered DeMordaunt more than valuable professional experience. Living and working in a new country challenged her to become more adaptable, independent and confident.
“Working in Berlin helped us grow as individuals not only professionally, but emotionally and mentally as well,” she said. “It also helped us grow as a couple and brought us closer together in many ways as we figured out life in a foreign country together.”
Professionally, the internship gave DeMordaunt opportunities to work with people from backgrounds and cultures different from her own. She also learned to take initiative and embrace responsibility as she managed projects with significant freedom.
“My internship abroad helped me a ton to learn how to work with people who are very different from me, which is such valuable work experience,” she said. “It also taught me how to take initiative and be responsible for my actions and accomplishments.”
Amid the new experiences, DeMordaunt and her husband made one tradition a priority: attending church.
Almost every week, they worshipped with a different congregation. For DeMordaunt, seeing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in different countries became one of the most meaningful parts of the summer.
“One of my very favorite things about living abroad all summer was going to church in a new country almost every week,” she said. “It really strengthened our faith and testimonies to see the Church thriving in different corners of the world.”
The experience also gave her a new appreciation for the diversity of the Church.
“It was so inspiring to see how different and diverse the wards and branches were while still practicing and preaching the same doctrine,” DeMordaunt said.
For DeMordaunt, a summer internship in an unfamiliar country ultimately became an opportunity for her to grow professionally, strengthen her marriage and deepen her faith, all while discovering that sometimes the experiences that push us furthest outside our comfort zones are the ones that shape us most.