By Danny Deza

Bridget Twohig, a senior marketing major, is one of three Northeastern students trying to bring economic sustainability to the small village of Phrao, Thailand.

Talking to the locals and setting up relations with merchants is a small step toward success for the people of Phrao and just another day’s work for Twohig in her attempt to.

“Warm Heart focuses on the state of community development,” Twohig said. “We are trying to start up an after school program to teach children how to speak English and have arts and crafts.”

Twohig is the public relations co-op for Warm Heart Worldwide. Warm Heart Worldwide is a community-based non-profit organization that helps impoverished communities in Thailand become thriving self-sufficient societies.

Now, Warm Heart Worldwide has become a member of the Northeastern international co-op community, allowing students to help foster prosperity in Thailand as their co-op.

For her co-op, Twohig works everyday with the locals, helping to forge relationships between them and the organization to promote better public health, business and education in the village.

“This is an amazing experience and it all has been worth it,” Twohig said. “It has been both a great professional and intimate experience.”

After studying in Belgium last year, Twohig said she had already made up her mind to go abroad on co-op, and said she wanted something new that involved public relations.

Twohig’s journey to Thailand began in meetings with the international co-op department and included an interview with Denise Horn, assistant professor of international affairs and a field researcher for Warm Heart Worldwide.

Horn is one of the professors who helped organize the Dialogue of Civilizations trip to Thailand for the Global Partnership for Activism and Cross-Cultural Training (GPACT) program, and is now on sabbatical to work for Warm Heart Worldwide.

This is the first year Northeastern students worked with Warm Heart Worldwide, Twohig said.

Emily Turner, a junior international affairs and political science major, works is in micro-enterprising.

Turner said she helps small businesses in the village bring their products to America to be sold.

With the exchange rate working in Thailand’s favor, products sold in dollars almost triple the income for Thai businesses, helping to create a more sustainable economy.

“This is exactly what I wanted and I feel like this is a really rare opportunity that happened to be an internship position,” Turner said. “This co-op has so much influence on my work and will really help me out in the future.”

Despite her co-op being unpaid, Turner said the experience was worth it.

“We might not be getting a paycheck, but I have never worked in Thailand and pioneered a project, which is something I will take with me forever wherever I end up, making it all a priceless experience,” Turner said.

Melissa Davies, senior international co-op counselor, said the international co-op programs have been growing during the past year.

“When I first came to Northeastern a year and half ago, we were sending half as many students [abroad] as we are now,” she said. “We are exploring more opportunities to go abroad.”

Davies said the department is trying its best to send more students to their ideal abroad locations but also advises students to plan ahead and let the international co-op department know ahead of time what they might have in mind.

“Unfortunately, with the different visa processes and the change in job opportunities, students should e-mail and contact an advisor so we could keep an eye out for a co-op in the country they are interested in,” she said.

Warm Heart Worldwide will continue to offer a co-op every semester, Davies said. The organization is looking to expand with engineering positions to bring in more Northeastern students.

“International co-ops are a great way to diversify your resume,” she said. “Many of them are unpaid but it is always good to have volunteer background in your field.”

Alicia Genna, a senior biology major and Warm Heart Worldwide public health coordinator, helps with fundraising for children’s homes, collects data through surveys for health issues and helps facilitate training sessions.

After taking the Dialogue of Civilizations trip to Thailand last year, Genna said she fell in love with her experience and knew she wanted to return.

“There must have been something in the water,” she said. “I feel so fortunate to be a part of Warm Heart and watch it turn into something great, and flourish into such a positive NGO [non-governmental organization].”