Jon Orbach
Age: 25 years old
Columbia Journalism School
“I can’t remember the days in which I wasn’t obsessed with world soccer. Coming from a South African background, I was instantly enchanted with how much of a global unifier it is — it’s a point of connection in almost every corner of the world. Walk around Johannesburg in an Arsenal shirt, and you’ll see what I mean.
“And when you look at the greats of world soccer, you find representation from all across both the developed and developing world.
“They all have one thing in common, and it isn’t initial socioeconomic status. Whether they’re from Rotterdam or Rocinha, they’re the legends they are today because of their skill and determination.
“As someone who’s constantly looking for ways to communicate with people of all origins, I find soccer an incredibly fun, useful and meaningful connector.”
Internship: Institute of International Studies - Universidad de Chile
“I'm enjoying my internship very much. Although it deals with heartbreaking material, the work I do contributes to a study for a good cause: it monitors the response of the Argentinian and Chilean governments' response to combat violence against women during the pandemic. Essentially, I transfer data from files and news articles into a spreadsheet, turning qualitative info quantitative, reading and confirming the news in the process. My supervisor, Tatiana Rein Venegas, Director of the Graduate School, is incredibly supportive and available, and the team is fantastic. I've really enjoyed my time with the Universidad de Chile so far, and I'm really happy that this is where I am this fall.”
