Onward Israel is one of Hillels of Georgia's signature programs providing college students with an amazing immersive experience in Israel. It is an opportunity for students to have an internship in their field of study or intended career while living in Israel for a six-week period. Read about students' unique experiences and learn more about their internships through this Onward Israel Student Spotlight series. This post will be updated continuously as the program continues so check back for updates!
Dylan Frohman, UGA '24
I am a Management and information systems major that intends to complete a master's degree in data analytics. In addition to this, I am completing two minors in computer science and cognitive science. A huge reason I wanted to do an internship in Israel was to experience firsthand a startup culture. My time as a business development intern at the small startup Bridgeit has been somewhat of a culture shock, but has been overall incredible! Over the past two months, I’ve undergone the fast-paced and at times hectic experience working at a startup. While at times this could be stressful, it is an experience I have gained a ton from and wouldn’t trade for anything else! My main tasks included researching potential investors as well as financial institutions Bridgeit could partner with. My time with Bridgeit and in Israel as a whole has been incredibly rewarding and isn’t something I would trade for the world. I am so grateful to both Onward and Destination Israel for providing me with this experience!
Caden Sime, UGA '24
I originally studied Exercise and Sports Science, but recently changed my major to Health Promotion, focusing specifically on health management and administration. I have always been super interested in sports, especially baseball, so, when I was offered an internship within the Israeli Baseball Association, it was a no-brainer! Throughout this past month, I have primarily been helping the national baseball teams prepare for their various summer tournaments. From attending team practices to working behind the scenes on logistical issues, I helped in any way I could to ensure smooth and successful events. It has been incredibly rewarding to see my work pay off as the Maccabiah baseball tournament has officially started and is being played throughout this coming week. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to give back to the sport I love, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the summer!
Ethan Engel, UGA '24
I am a rising junior at the University of Georgia and I am an Honors Finance student also pursuing a Certificate in Computing. My dream job out of undergrad would involve a management consulting position with a Big 4 firm, and I think the prerequisite to such a job requires an understanding of many facets of business. I have the incredible opportunity to work with the marketing team at Cybellum as a Market Analyst intern. Cybellum is a cybersecurity firm specializing in product security (think hack-proofing Teslas and pacemakers). My role involves doing preliminary market research on companies from various relevant verticals by analyzing SEC filings and annual reports. My role at Cybellum has developed my understanding of how businesses both attract and secure clients, as well as how branding and sales communicate to deliver the value proposition to potential clients. I couldn’t imagine a more valuable internship experience and I’m very excited to see where these last few weeks in Tel Aviv will take me.
Maddie Lampert, Emory '25
I am a rising sophomore at Emory studying neuroscience and psychology. In the future I hope to do research on autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities. I developed a passion for working with individuals with disabilities while peer mentoring in my high school’s special education classes. For my internship, I am working with three other Onward interns at Chimes, a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities and care for people with disabilities of all ages. I spend the work day planning and doing activities at a daycare for adults with disabilities. We do adaptive and inclusive art, music, cooking, dancing, bowling, and sensory activities. It is really challenging to cater to each of their individual needs and abilities, but it is really rewarding to form bonds with each of the participants and make their day-to-day experiences more engaging and exciting.
Maya Kahn, Georgia Tech '24
I am a rising third-year biochemistry major at Georgia Tech, and I am on the Georgia Onward program through Destination Israel. One of the things I love about chemistry is that it has so many applications. Food science and sustainability are fields that I find both interesting and impactful. With Onward this summer, I had the opportunity to work at a biotech startup called Mediterranean Food Lab. This company uses a solid state fermentation process to make vegan food flavoring that tastes just like meat. I work in the company’s lab running experiments and testing enzymatic activity during the production process. Working at MFL has been an exciting and delicious way to apply the biology and chemistry that I learn in the classroom.
Talia Segal, Georgia Tech '24
I studied Civil Engineering for my first year and a half and have recently switched to Biomedical Engineering, but I am still very interested in Global Development, which leads me here to my internship with Innovation: Africa. IA is a non-profit that uses Israeli technology to bring solar power and water distribution systems to rural Africa. This summer, I am working under the civil engineer at the organization’s headquarters in Herzliya, helping to monitor the construction of current projects and modeling new designs. If you had asked me two years ago, I would have told you this was my dream job, so I really couldn’t be more excited to be here.
Lily Dammann, UGA '23
I'm majoring in International Affairs and Spanish and interning at the Israel Latin American Chamber of commerce which is the perfect mix of my areas of study! The Chamber is responsible for fostering bilateral and commercial cooperation between Israel and Latin America. I do a little bit of everything there: presentations, newsletters, and even some event planning. I could not be more thrilled with my internship placement and I'm so excited for this professional development opportunity.