The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/2/09 Section: Out & About

Media Credit: Courtesy Kelly Doyle-Mace Kelly Doyle-Mace was named first runner up in STA Travel's World Traveler Intern 2009 contest. Her prize is an eight-week internship in Barcelona, Spain, with the University of Dreams [Click to enlarge]

Imagine jumping into a taxi with a pesky Moroccan man who won't stop offering a "free" tour of Tangier after having guessed your native tongue in three languages. And try to envision what it would feel like jumping into six degrees Celsius water in Lake Geneva.

For Kelly Doyle-Mace, these are merely pastimes that have ventured their way onto her gasp-worthy list of travel stories.

Doyle-Mace, a fifth year Romance Languages major from Cumming, entered the World Traveler Intern 2009 contest through STA Travel, the world's largest student travel company.

And got first runner up. But a big let down isn't what she's getting. Instead, she received an eight week internship in Barcelona, Spain with the University of Dreams - the world's leading internship program.

Doyle-Mace will have the opportunity to make lasting relationships with other college students in the program and further her career goals focused in whatever field she chooses.

Her self-proclaimed status as a "mover and shaker" and "general fan of life" helped Doyle-Mace propel herself into the top ten of the competition out of more than 700 applicants.

She had to assemble a short video showcasing her kooky personality to the world, and even featured a fanatic cheer in front of Sanford Stadium.

"I spent countless hours working on the minute details trying to get the message across."

She compared the competitive experience to "Survivor," weighing her personal skills against the other top ten contestants.

"I had to figure out what are my strong suits and especially compared to the other contestants. Who could I choose as an ally and who could work against me."

Among other caveats, she also had to keep a blog of her adventures along the way, which happened to be in Évian Les Bains, France.

Continued...

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