Q. What led you to come across the world to Toronto for this program? What were you hoping to gain from this experience? 

 

Edith: What drew me to the program was the combination of research, museum work, and public outreach that it offered. Peace education and social justice education are areas that are not yet well established in Hong Kong, and I appreciated the novel perspective that ALPHA Education offered for me in those areas. Additionally, ALPHA Education’s interdisciplinary approach really aligned with my academic interests; the program’s focus on the history of WWII in Asia, together with its commitment to bringing attention to underrepresented histories, seemed really interesting and was something that I wanted to immerse myself in.

 

Though I had prior internship experience, I wanted to explore something different, and I saw ALPHA’s offerings as a completely new field for me to step into. I wanted to gain exposure as to how pedagogical work operates in a real-world setting, work in a cross-cultural environment, and also simply to educate myself more about the history [of WWII in Asia]. I also wanted to better understand how research, museums, and public outreach come together to make history more accessible to different audiences.

 

Q. Was there anything that made you nervous or excited about travelling to Canada?

 

Yisa: I was excited about the weather, experiencing “Western” Culture, and pride month. But I got worried about the transit system, which proved itself worth being nervous about.

 

Q. What kinds of projects or responsibilities did you work on during your internship?

 

Ceci: I focused heavily on historical research with Flora into Filipino feminists and justice in Asia during WWII, diving into primary sources such as official post-war military records, diplomatic treaties, and declassified state documents. I then translated these documents from the Philippines into English, thus making those heavy academic findings into accessible educational content, and tailored tutoring plans, which successfully helped improve my thought in the past of history. I also worked to develop the Historical Humanity Meeting Handout, as well as social media postings. Altogether, this experience guided me to have a lot of new thoughts and an acknowledgment of information about WWII history.

 

Q. Were you able to develop new insights into the way you think about history, peace education, or cultural exchange? If so, how?

 

May: My biggest takeaway with this whole experience was learning that peace education isn't just about learning what went wrong in the past, but actively teaching the next generation how to prevent future injustices.

 

Q. Tell me about one thing you experienced for the first time in Toronto.

 

Edith: The diversity here really stood out to me. Walking around the city, the diversity of different churches, different cultural festivals, and people from so many different backgrounds really reflects how diverse Toronto is.

 

One thing that I experienced for the first time which particularly stood out to me were land acknowledgements—seeing the emphasis placed on Indigenous history and culture was something I hadn’t encountered before. I also happened to be here during Pride Month. It was fascinating seeing the Pride Month celebrations and appreciating the inclusivity in this city for people of different races, genders, religions, and sexual orientations. 

 

Q. What would you say to another student from elsewhere considering joining this program?

 

Edith: I would definitely encourage them to give it a try. The immersive working experience and the variety of projects offers a valuable opportunity to learn both professionally and personally. You'll gain practical experience, work with people from different backgrounds, and see how an organization like ALPHA operates. But honestly, I think the best part is the people you meet here. Working and spending time with people from different backgrounds, hearing their stories and perspectives—that's probably what I'll remember the most from this experience.

 

Q. What do you think could have changed to have made your experience here better?

 

Ceci: Honestly, the time went by too fast. If I could change one thing, I wish we had a few more structured team brainstorming sessions early on so the interns could have shared their different research perspectives even sooner.