Gladys Colon-Algarin, USAG Daegu Internship Program Manager, and Volunteer Corps Program Manager, leads the training session for 21 new supervisores.
DAEGU GARRISON — To kick off the beginning of the 2015 new intern session, training was held for all new intern supervisors on March 16, in the ACS classroom on Camp Henry. Gladys Colon-Algarin, USAG Daegu Internship Program Manager, and Volunteer Corps Program Manager, led the training session which welcomed a total of 21 new supervisors in all.
For nearly two hours, the newcomers received a variety of useful information on the internship program. The information is intended to guide them through the six months they will have the Korean student interns under their tutelage. “The Purpose of the training is to provide the tools necessary for the supervisors in order to be successful as intern supervisors. The new intern supervisors have to be able to successfully communicate with their interns.
They should understand what are the roles and responsibilities both that they have as intern supervisors and the interns have,” said Colon-Algarin.
Joining the ranks of the new supervisors were three new organizations -- the 19th ESC Protocol Office, the 19th ESC Engineering Cell and USAG Daegu Garrison Internal Review. “It’s a good turn out because it is a natural procedure that some civilians in USAG Daegu and Area IV stay for a short period of time and then move on. So, once they leave a department, someone else takes over,” stated Colon-Algarin.
The internship program manager went on to say that during the training, people who participated received very essential information. She said, “Throughout the training, we dealt with a variety of forms that intern supervisors needed to fill out. We addressed important dates that will come up during this session, and touched on the history of the internship program, the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that U.S. Army Garrison Daegu has with area universities, as well as the expectations we have for both supervisors and interns.”
Referring back to the MOU, Colon-Algarin pointed to some of the benefits that have resulted in the signing by the USAG Daegu leadership. She said, “The internship program facilitates and exposes student’s learning opportunities outside of a classroom environment, allowing them to have a hands-on experience in a professional business atmosphere. The internship program also allows Intern Supervisors and USAG Daegu community members to have an opportunity to interact with interns, and learn about the Korean culture and way of life.”
Before ending the interview, Colon added a few words of wisdom and encouragement to the new intern supervisors stating, “To make a good relationship between a supervisor and an intern, supervisors have to provide good mentoring. Because interns are students, and a great majority of them are experiencing the American workplace and cultural environment for the first time. Therefore, supervisors need to explain in detail how things are done. Additionally, as a supervisor and a mentor, the new intern supervisor should be able to correct whatever the intern does wrong so that he or she can learn from their experiences.”
