Mansur
Groppe, Long & Littell
“Mentors are incredibly important. They provided advice about moving to a different part of the country (not NY), adjusting after college, etc. Bulldogs by the Bayou introduced me to a different type of city, a different type of environment that I really like. Houston ’s a very spread out, less hysterical, more family-oriented place than traditional cities. I found the lifestyle very attractive and I’m seriously considering moving here after graduation. That last statement shows just how amazing this program is.”
Michal
Element Markets
“Being Bulldog by the Bayou means to me being part of a greater Yale family. And it’s probably one of the biggest lessons I took out of this summer. Thanks to the hospitability of the Yale alums and their openness to young bulldogs I was able to learn how the Yale network reaches far beyond our campus. I met some really amazing people that despite all their different interests and personalities had one thing in common. They were all bulldogs at their heart which always came out whenever they had a chance to share with their fondest Yale memories. In a new city and environment I had a chance to feel like at home right away thanks to all three bulldogs working at Element Markets and all those hosting us or organizing different events. I’m really proud to say I’m running in such a great pack!”
Sally
Thermo Fisher Scientific
“Splashtown was one of my most memorable days in Houston . We would go on this water slide again and again, singing Yale songs at the top of our lungs all the way down. Everyone went on this scarily tall water slide with a vertical drop, and the only thing pushing me to go on was their cheering. We had a deliciously overfilling barbeque lunch, and afterwards felt so full that we couldn’t move. The true Texan experience. This day really epitomizes what was so great about the Bulldogs program—having memorable experiences and school pride with Yalies, being challenged by my peers and at my internship, and discovering all the crazy fun things to do in Houston.”
Dung, DePelchin Children's Center
"Being with other Bulldogs away from home meant being with family. Jessica Zachary, David Kim, Leah Barton, and Leslie Goldman really took on a parent role this summer. They welcomed us (even into their homes) and introduced us to the city. They took care of us. It was amazing to see that alumni care so much about current students. And even though I didn't know any of the other students prior to the summer, we quickly became great friends. The dormitory's communal kitchen became the place to hang out and early on the summer, we created family dinners. Every Sunday, we would all get together and cook an entire meal from scratch. None of us really knew what we were doing but it was fun and a great bonding experience. None of us knew each other; it was simply the sense of community that allowed us to bond so quickly."
Athena, Houston Department of Health and Human Services
"This was my first internship experience at Yale, and I loved it! Living in a new city with your classmates for a summer is a lot of fun because you are able to explore together. Yet the fact that we had the Yale Club of Houston alumni and mentors as support and could ask them anything made everything a lot easier! They were really great and I appreciated everything they did for us (planning trips, hosting bbqs, taking us on tours, etc). I liked how the Bulldogs were able to live together in a dorm so that we could bond just like any other Yale students living in the residential colleges. Since there were not too many of us we were able to get really close, and I love that. Making new friends is great and I had only known one of the bulldogs coming into the program. All the drama, funny stories, little group outings, and inside jokes made for an incredible and memorable summer! :)"
Jharrett, Citizen Schools
" I truly enjoyed participating in Bulldogs by the Bayou because I had a great internship in the non-profit sector that taught me a lot and really molded the direction of my future. Also, unlike previous summer internships I had where I was the only Yalie, It was fantastic living with other Yale students, most of whom I had never met before. We did so many bonding activities and outings as a group that I genuinely feel I've made some close friends with whom I will remain in contact with next year. I loved getting to become close to the Yale Club of Houston and thereby getting to know so many successful alumni from across the industries. Being in Houston was a surprisingly fantastic aspect of the Bulldogs program. I was a Texas native and did not realize that Houston could be so fun! I would genuinely consider living here after I graduate; the successful recent and older alumni are testaments to the fact that there are so many fantastic opportunities to be found in Texas. My outlook on post-Yale life has been truly diversified by virtue of working in the non-profit world and in a new city. I'm very optimistic about the future. I want to close by talking briefly about how fantastic my internship at Citizen Schools was. I truly enjoyed being a Citizen Schools employee because I truly believe in their mission in education kids and because it a large non-profit that made me realize that the best non-profits run just as efficiently and at as fast a pace of corporations! I was frequently challenged and had the opportunity to meet a lot of talented individuals with a passion for education. Most importantly, I never really felt like an "intern" per se so much as a temporary full-time employee. In other words, my work was very valuable to Citizen Schools and my projects will live on even after leaving the organization. It was great literally sitting beside my supervisor everyday and having frequent contact with both her and the executive director. Citizen Schools runs very horizontally at the state office, so what I quickly realized was that when I had an opinion, it was valued immensely and as a result, we all had some very fruitful and insightful conversations this summer. Citizen Schools was just a great match for me and I only have the most positive things to say about it. I am even motivated to apply to be a full time employee for fall '11. Wish me luck! I had the best summer of my Yale career in Houston and I hope that you can continue to reach out to other talented Yalies with skills to contribute to the wide variety of Houston industries. I have full faith that the Houston program will only expand and gain momentum in future years!. Thanks for the opportunity!"
Young, Eagle Global Advisors
"Bulldogs by the Bayou has reminded me how strong the Yale connection really is. It's been truly wonderful getting to know the Yale alumni who have all been so successful in their careers, and also getting to meet some fellow Yalies. And I've been able to see my hometown (Houston) in a new light! My internship was truly amazing. It was great that it was at a small firm, so I felt that I, even as an intern, could have some impact there. Surprisingly, we did little grunt work (like using the copier), and a lot of critical thinking was expected of us. I was very pleasantly surprised. And the grunt work we did - mostly some tedious tasks on Excel - still taught us very important skills. (I'm so much more productive on Excel now!) Thanks so much to the generous people at Eagle Global for making my summer so wonderfully educational, productive, and interesting!"
Jordon, Houston Department of Health and Human Services
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