June 1, 2016
Few cities in the world can leave as deep an impression on people as Paris does, so when Dede-Nakoh Appiah ’17 was offered the opportunity to intern at the Ghanaian Embassy in Paris, she jumped at it. “I like France for the tourist attractions and the food,” explained Nakoh. “So when I learned I was going for the internship I was excited, though I didn’t know what to expect.”
For two weeks in Paris, Nakoh worked with the technology department at the embassy, helping to streamline the vast amount of contact information the embassy has to work with. She took advantage of the Web Technologies class she had just taken the past semester to lay the foundation for a database system for the embassy. “When I got there, I realized the volume of information they had to deal with could get quite overwhelming,” said Nakoh. “So I helped start work on a set of databases to organize all their information, as well as build webpages to improve accessibility to the data.”
Aside working in the IT department, Nakoh had the chance to engage firsthand with the Ghanaian community in Paris, working alongside officials at the embassy to help resolve issues the Ghanaian nationals face.
Taking advantage of the famed sights of Paris formed the highlight of her trip. “I made a list of places to see and things to do, and I would go on an adventure everyday after work,” she said. “Having duck confit at Montmarte, seeing the Eiffel Tower, visiting the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, visiting Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and shopping in the Latin Quarter were among my highlights.”
For Nakoh, a Management Information Systems major, harnessing the power of information technology to improve businesses appeals to her. Her short stint in Paris put her in the position to do this. “I was excited knowing that what I am learning in school was beneficial to them,” she said. “The fact that they were impressed that I could do that in a short time, was fulfilling.”
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