This summer, four University of Florida undergraduates turned their academic interests into professional experience through hands-on internships exploring Japanese culture, economics and trade.
Through an exclusive partnership between UF’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service, the Southeast U.S./Japan Association’s Florida Delegation (SEUS/Japan) in Miami and the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, students applied their classroom skills in settings ranging from digital media to economic analysis.
The experiences highlight how the Graham Center’s global internships connect UF students to real-world opportunities with global impact.
Data Analysis Meets Global Trade
For Aidan Bryant, a senior pursuing a triple major in economics, mathematics, and statistics, the Data Analysis and Visualization internship with SEUS/Japan’s Florida Delegation bridged classroom theories with international economics.
As part of his data internship, Aidan researched international trade and investment data, analyzing trends across Asian economies and presenting insights through reports and visualizations.
“Understanding economies and how they interact can be daunting, but interning with SEUS-Japan gave me the mentorship and environment to apply classroom theories to real-world economic movements,” Bryant said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to hone my skills in data analysis, market research, and tying in insights from lived experiences—particularly while studying abroad in Japan—to craft narratives that contextualize the world economy.”
Bryant added that the experience helped connect him with Florida government, economic development organizations, Japan-related businesses, and the Consulate General of Japan in Miami, and brought him closer to his career goal of designing policies and incentives that advance the public good.
Designing for International Partnerships
Julio C. Llanes, a senior computer science major and Japanese minor, spent his summer giving SEUS/Japan’s Florida Delegation a digital upgrade through a web design internship.
“I was responsible for bringing a fresh face to the SEUS-Florida Delegation website—its initial design dates all the way back to 2007,” Llanes said. “On top of juggling a study abroad at Waseda University, I had to figure out a new design and system for the website that let writers update information and images without having to interact with any of the code. It was an incredible learning experience, and I am so very grateful for everyone at FL-SEUS (especially my mentor Dave Woodward) and the Graham Center.”
Julio’s web design internship strengthened his design and problem-solving skills while giving him exposure to international trade networks, state agencies, and Japan-related organizations. He finished with a polished portfolio piece, mentorship from senior staff, and valuable networking contacts.
Media Skills for Cultural Exchange
At the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Kailee Goldstein, a senior majoring in media production, contributed her editing and production expertise as a Digital Media Intern.
“My experience at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens could not have been better!” Goldstein said. “I devoted myself to editing pre-filmed footage of educational talks, demonstrations, and cultural performances to be shared online and within the museum’s theater. I also worked internally on their new mobile app and website on Bloomberg Connects, which features an in-depth audio guided tour of the grounds.”
Her role also involved editing nine educational video projects, conducting research, and collaborating on app and website development.
“I’m honored to have been selected for this opportunity, and it has allowed me to engage my media production skills and contribute to the museum’s goal of sharing Japanese culture with South Florida,” she said.
Kailee’s internship allowed her to expand her creative and technical skills while contributing directly to the Morikami’s mission of sharing Japanese culture with the public.
Preserving History Through Collections
For Andrew Touzard, a Japanese Studies, political science and international studies major, the Morikami’s Collections Internship offered a hands-on connection to cultural preservation.
“In 2005, I had an encounter with Tutankhamun at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Art. I will never forget the splendor of his burial goods and my burning desire to touch them,” Touzard said. “The Morikami provided me with the opportunity to fulfill that dream; to grasp history. I will never forget the feeling of 250-year-old woodblock prints—wondering about the people who owned them and took joy from them like I did. Did I see things they didn’t? What would they have told me that I couldn’t see? In that moment a part of our shared story spanned ages.”
During his collections internship, Andrew worked hands-on with the Morikami’s archives, digitizing materials, rehousing objects, and preparing artifacts for the museum’s 50th anniversary. The experience built his skills in collections management and cultural preservation while offering a unique perspective on Japanese art and history.
Preparing Gators for Global Careers
The Bob Graham Center partners with the Morikami Museum and SEUS/Japan to open doors for UF students who want to apply their studies in meaningful, globally relevant contexts.
These internships are designed for motivated students with interests ranging from economics and international relations to media production and cultural preservation. Professionalism, reliability and curiosity are common threads among successful applicants.
Even more Global Internships are coming. The next round of internships opens in late October 2025 for placements beginning in January and February. Students can apply through the Bob Graham Center’s Global Internships program at this link.