By Hana Sawaf, Undergraduate student in the UT International Relations and Global Studies Department
When I boarded my flight to Panama almost a month ago, I knew I would be stepping outside of my comfort zone. I expected long workdays, lots of Spanish, and maybe a little homesickness. What I didn’t expect was just how quickly Panama would start to feel like home—or how my cohort would become a second family. I’m interning with CID Gallup, where I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside a talented team conducting public opinion research throughout Latin America. Coming into this internship, I had taken classes on research methods and survey design, but seeing those concepts applied in real life has been a completely different experience.
Our team has been leading a study on the “sandwich generation” in Panama and Chile. The sandwich generation refers to adults—often women—who are simultaneously caring for aging parents while also supporting their own children. Balancing those responsibilities can create significant emotional, financial, and professional burdens, and our project is trying to better understand how those pressures affect women in both countries.
One aspect of the job I wasn’t expecting to enjoy so much was getting to leave the office to conduct surveys in the field with everyday Panamanians. Instead of learning about survey methodology in a lecture, we’ve been walking through neighborhoods across Panama and talking with real people about their lives and experiences.
One interview I’ll remember for a long time was with an abuela who was watching her young granddaughter while answering our survey. Between questions, we’d play with her granddaughter, make silly faces, and laugh together while the interview continued. It was such a small moment, but it reminded me why I wanted to do this internship in the first place. It’s easy to think about surveys as just data collection, but every response comes from a real person with their own story. Getting to meet people where they live and hear those stories firsthand has been one of the most impactful parts of the internship.
Of course, collecting the surveys is only the beginning. Once we’re back in the office, we clean and analyze the data, look for trends, and discuss what the results might actually mean. It’s been really interesting to see how hundreds of individual conversations can turn into insights that organizations can use to make decisions. Before this summer, I mostly thought of surveys as a way to collect information. Now I understand how much work goes into making sure that information is accurate, meaningful, and useful.
In addition to the sandwich generation project, I’ve also been working on an independent market research project focused on the airline industry. I’ve been researching what factors influence travelers when they book international flights, what creates airline loyalty, and how U.S. airlines compare to Latin American airlines in the eyes of consumers. It’s been exciting because it combines my interest in international affairs with an industry I’ve always been curious about. Over the course of the internship, I’ll be presenting my findings and recommendations, which has challenged me to think not only about what the data says, but also about how to communicate those insights in a way that’s useful for decision-makers.
Working entirely in Spanish has been the biggest challenge so far, but it’s also where I’ve grown the most. Some days I leave work mentally exhausted because I’ve been translating nonstop for eight hours, but looking back to my first week, I can already tell how much more comfortable I’ve become. Every meeting, conversation, presentation, and survey has made me a little more confident.
I’ve also learned a lot just by sitting in on meetings with the CID Gallup team. Listening to researchers explain why certain survey questions are written the way they are, how samples are designed, and how public opinion data can influence policy and organizational decisions has given me a much greater appreciation for the importance of trustworthy research. It’s one thing to learn about survey methodology in a classroom, but it’s another to watch it shape conversations about real-world issues.
Outside of work, my cohort has made the most of every weekend by exploring as much of Panama as we can. One of our first adventures was Taboga Island, a beautiful island just a short ferry ride from Panama City. It was exactly what you’d imagine—a laid-back beach town with colorful buildings, crystal-clear water, and incredible views. Unfortunately, I also learned a very important lesson that day: always wear sunscreen.
We also traveled to Bocas del Toro, and it quickly became one of my favorite trips I’ve ever taken. We stayed in a hostel and spent the weekend surfing, eating way too many tostones, and drinking coconut water whenever we could get our hands on one.
One of the best parts of this experience has been the people. From our very first week, everyone at CID Gallup has gone out of their way to make us feel welcome. Edgar, María Luz, Lorena, Kari Angel, Luis, Ana, and so many others have been incredibly patient, supportive, and just genuinely fun to be around. Whether they’re answering our endless questions, helping us figure out a project, practicing Spanish with us, or chatting over lunch at La Fonda Panameña Express, they’ve made coming into the office something I genuinely look forward to every day. Somewhere along the way they stopped feeling like coworkers and supervisors and started feeling more like friends. I don’t think any of us expected to build those kinds of relationships in just a few weeks, but I’m grateful we did.
Whether it’s the coworkers who welcomed us from day one, the Panamanians who shared their stories during our surveys, or the people we met while traveling, this summer has reminded me how much you can learn just by talking to people and being curious about their experiences.
Before coming to Panama, I knew I wanted to do something related to international affairs, but I wasn’t exactly sure what that looked like. This summer has helped me figure out what I actually want to do after I graduate. Getting to work on projects that combine research, public opinion, international issues, and market analysis has shown me how much I enjoy using data to understand people’s perspectives and help organizations make better decisions. It’s made me even more excited to pursue this kind of work after college.
Looking back, it’s funny to think about how nervous I was getting on the plane a month ago. Now I can’t imagine not coming here. I’ve learned a lot about research, I’ve learned even more Spanish than I thought I would, and somehow Panama has started to feel a little like home. I’m excited to see what the next four weeks bring—and I’m definitely not forgetting sunscreen again.
