Student Spotlight: University of Toledo 12-Week Internship Program in Sydney 2025

The University of Toledo collaborated with Global Career Center (GCC) on a 12-week internship program in Sydney, Australia. This blog post features a profile of one student, Alex Schlotterer, a Computer Science and Engineering Major.

 Pictured: Sydney's Tower Eye; Luna Park; Water taxis in Circular Quay.

"This internship experience has been incredibly meaningful for me, both professionally and personally.

During my time in Sydney, I worked on a project called the Magic Story Book, where I assisted with embedded systems and software development using an ESP32-S3 microcontroller. I contributed to refining and expanding the codebase and helped the team progress toward a functional prototype for a storytelling toy powered by AI and RFID technology. This experience not only sharpened my technical skills in embedded systems development, hardware/software integration, and system design — it also boosted my confidence in working on real-world products.

Equally impactful was the cultural experience. I had the chance to collaborate with colleagues from Australia, Chile, China, and Japan. These interactions broadened my perspective, enhanced my communication skills, and helped me build an international professional network that could lead to exciting future opportunities.

Thank you again for helping make this opportunity possible. I’m truly grateful to Rebecca Chow, the Global Career Center, and IFSA for supporting students like me and making international internships like this accessible.

This blog features a few pictures of my time in Sydney, including one below of my co-workers and I going to dinner at a German restaurant in The Rocks."

 Group photo of Alex and co-workers at a restaurant in The Rocks, Sydney.