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When Ana Sofia Mendoza ’24 reflects on her experience with Lehigh’s Iacocca International Internship Program (IIIP), she does not describe it as a single summer abroad. Instead, she sees it as the continuation of a partnership, one that has grown from advocacy into institutional impact.

Mendoza interned in Armenia with Nor Luyce, an organization that empowers adolescent girls from socially vulnerable families through mentorship, skills development, and academic support. Her path to the internship was distinctive: before becoming an IIIP participant, she had already served as a Youth Representative for the organization.

“I wanted to move beyond representing the organization and truly understand its work within the communities it serves,” Mendoza said. “Becoming an Iacocca intern gave me the opportunity to gain on-the-ground experience and deepen that involvement.”

As a grant writer for Nor Luyce, Mendoza worked closely with Executive Director Shogher Mikaelyan, a former Lehigh Fulbright student. Her responsibilities included drafting proposals, refining program narratives, aligning goals with funding criteria, and managing time-sensitive application processes.

However, her internship offered more than professional development. Being in Armenia shifted her understanding of social vulnerability and mentorship.

“I saw how quickly confidence can shrink in environments where girls feel unheard,” she said. “At the same time, I witnessed how consistent mentorship can slowly rebuild that confidence. Small, steady interventions often matter more than dramatic solutions.”

One of her most meaningful moments came during Nor Luyce’s end-of-year celebration for program participants. “We collect data on impact,” she said, “but seeing the girls celebrate their growth alongside their mentors made the work tangible.”

Mendoza’s involvement with Nor Luyce did not end when her internship concluded. Most recently, she helped the organization secure a $20,000 U.S. Government Alumni Grant to fund a teacher-training initiative focused on bullying prevention in Armenian schools.

She supported the grant process from start to finish, drafting sections, refining language, and collaborating closely with organizational leadership.

“The program will train teachers to identify early signs of bullying, respond effectively and integrate prevention into everyday classroom culture,” Mendoza said. “What excites me most is the domino effect. By equipping teachers, we indirectly support hundreds of students and help shift school environments toward safety and inclusion.”

Mikaelyan shared that Mendoza will be credited in an upcoming edition of the organization’s publication in recognition of her contributions — a reflection of what she described as a sustained and collaborative partnership.

For Mendoza, the roots of her commitment to girls’ empowerment trace back to her own journey. At 16, she moved alone from Peru to the United States, navigating new systems and expectations independently. Later, as a volunteer English tutor for girls in underserved communities, she witnessed how transformative mentorship can be.

“Access to guidance changes everything,” she said.

Her IIIP experience reinforced lessons about leadership and international collaboration. “Leadership is about responsibility and follow-through,” she said. “International collaboration requires understanding cultural context and listening before acting.”

Mendoza plans to pursue law with a focus on gender equity and education policy, building on the insights she gained in Armenia.

For students considering international internships, she offers simple advice: “Say yes to the experience and let yourself be changed by it. If you go in open and invested, it becomes more than an internship. It becomes something you carry with you long after you leave.”

Through partnership and strategic advocacy, Mendoza’s story reflects how global experiences at Lehigh can evolve into meaningful, long-term impact.