My friend and I in front of Xunantunich, the Mayan historical site in Belize.

Author: Emma Woo-Ming | Major: Economics | Semester: Summer 2025

This summer, I had the opportunity to intern with Peacework, a nonprofit organization, alongside the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) in Dangriga, a coastal town known as the cultural capital of Belize. My internship focused on supporting small business owners in the tourism sector through consulting and capacity-building initiatives.

As part of the tourism team, I worked directly with entrepreneurs and members of the community to develop individualized business plans, facilitate a Tourism Means Business Forum, and provide one-on-one coaching in areas such as financial planning, social media strategy, and website development. I collaborated with owners of hotels, artisans, beach venues, and tour services to help them refine their operations, expand their outreach, and better understand their market. We also contributed to community-oriented initiatives such as cleanup efforts and a marketing video promoting tourism in Dangriga in collaboration with the Pelican Beach Resort.

One of the most meaningful aspects of this internship was getting to apply my classroom knowledge to real-world challenges. I saw firsthand how economic principles and financial tools could help entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses in a community still recovering from the long-term impacts of COVID-19. Specifically, when doing financial consulting, we were able to work together with business owners to help them put together financial statements, directly using the things we learned in our accounting classes with a real business. While some challenges, such as difficulty with follow-through and a lack of communication, meant we had to deviate from our intended business plan, we were able to present our research at the Tourism Means Business Forum that we planned alongside the BTIA. Most meaningfully, I was able to see how a community-oriented business operates; instead of focusing on individual profit, the businesses in Dangriga look to only take on initiatives that will benefit the community as a whole. Although the process meant us having to restructure the way we approached problem-solving and meant shifting our business strategy, it highlighted for me the point of doing an internship abroad and getting exposed to how different cultures view success.

This experience deepened my understanding of economic development, especially in post-colonial and underserved regions, and reinforced my passion for inclusive, grassroots approaches to growth. The most significant learning curve I experienced was the cultural differences in business. In America, we take a very capitalistic viewpoint centered on maximizing profit, while in Dangriga, they focus on community-oriented growth and short-term spending as opposed to long-term investments. I also learned how much I value human-centered work, collaborating across cultures, building trust, and making tangible change.

I am currently looking to apply for local internships that will provide a space for me to contribute what I have learned over the term and to continue to grow professionally and personally. I look forward to bringing the same energy and insight to new communities, with the long-term goal of pursuing a career focused on equitable economic growth.