Michigan Woman Wins Prestigious Canadian Internship

Margaret Kromminga, 19, a student of international relations at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, has been chosen co-winner of this year’s Mansbridge internship.

Margaret Kromminga

Kromminga will use the $7,000 award to fund her work with Rev. Lloyd Ng’ambi in Zambia this summer. Ng’ambi, who became a family friend of the Krommingas during his years of study at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, Mich., currently serves as youth coordinator for the Presbyterian Church of Central Africa.

Kromminga will work with him in the areas of HIV/AIDS education and awareness, youth leadership and development, and practical skills training for young people.

Kromminga’s summer internship with Rev. Ng’ambi will count as a six-credit independent study unit toward her degree program. She plans to write a paper discussing how civil society provides services which would usually be delivered by government agencies in western countries. “I’m interested in learning how these services are provided in Zambia by something that isn’t a government-based organization, and sharing that presentation on campus in the fall,” she explained.

Established by Peter Mansbridge, who is the university chancellor and chief correspondent for CBC Television News, the internship provides third-year students with a unique leadership development opportunity.

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where her father served as pastor of All Nations Christian Reformed Church, Kromminga is a citizen of both Canada and the U.S. Her decision to study at Mount Allison University was based largely on the recommendation of family friends. “I don’t regret that decision for a second!” she said.

In addition to her studies during the just-completed academic year, Kromminga was vice-president of the international student association, the Choral Society, the Christian Fellowship, and the campus Eco-Action. She also served as head statistician in the University’s athletic department.