Yale-NUS students intern at a wide range of industries over the summer

Every summer, Yale-NUS students across all years take on internships within a range of industries, both locally and in different parts of the world. The internships are great opportunities to explore their professional and academic interests — as well as learn a little more about themselves.

Michelle Lee (Class of 2019) did an internship this year at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy, while Keith Ang (Class of 2019) stayed in Singapore and interned at Barclays Investment Bank.

A Literature major and Arts and Humanities minor, Michelle interned at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Museum last December and her experience there inspired her to take up another museum internship.

Michelle’s love of art and sharing it with the public drove her to apply for the Peggy Guggenheim museum internship. Image provided by Michelle Lee.

“Museums always seemed like hallowed places to me, like libraries — quiet places of beauty and reflection,” said Michelle. “I now know that there are complicating factors to this view of museums, such as issues of access and the colonial history of museum collections, but this love of art and sharing it with the public has always been what made me love museums. I applied for the Peggy Guggenheim internship because I love modern art and the Guggenheim name is well-reputed in that area.”

During the two-month internship in Venice, Michelle had the chance to progress from cleaning sculptures to giving guided tours to visitors. The insight, knowledge and passion of her fellow interns and museum staff also provided valuable perspective on future career paths in the museum industry.

“I was previously only interested in curation but my exposure to the other roles at the museum has also made me start considering other areas like museum education and administration,” Michelle said.

Keith has always been keen on a career in investing or financial services. His time interning at Barclays Investment Bank in Singapore provided him first-hand experience and exposure to working in the banking sector.

“Working alongside junior bankers who worked hard and long hours, I experienced the power of having tranquility and centredness in my private, internal world,” he said. “This helped me with my ability to perform my role in such an intense environment.”

Keith added: “Banking can demand a lot out of one’s life, and I have found that sustaining the needed commitment and focus demands a level of comfort with who I am, my valued relationships, and where I am headed in life.”

Note: Edits were made to the page on 3 February 2025