United States
Nonprofit Sector
“As Orphan International’s senior development intern, I work mostly in development and fundraising. However, as with many smaller nonprofit organizations, I end up doing a little bit of everything. One project involves designing innovative promotional products and a new newsletter. This involves creating advertisements, discussing a new country project with the founder, and setting up an endowment fund with a wealthy family here in New York. Speaking to the founder every day, I am learning the challenges of running a nonprofit. Not only am I enjoying New York life, but I feel I am really getting prepped for a future consulting career.”
- Angelica Hagman ‘08, Orphans International, New York City, USA
“I'm in Atlanta (well actually "Hotlanta") doing an internship with the Carter Center's Americas Program. My main projects will be monitoring Nicaragua's political situation weekly, in addition to researching the role of the media and the right to identity in Latin America. It's been fascinating to learn about the work of the Carter Center and delving into Latin American politics -and meeting the Carters this week! ”
- Deborah Hirt ‘08, Carter Center, Atlanta, USA
“American Council on Renewable Energy is a very active organization working to promote renewable energy in the U.S. My project is to compare the solar photo voltaic energy status in Korea, China, and the U.S. I’m also attending conferences and events dealing with renewable energy and am enjoying exploring all the exciting places in Washington, D.C.”
-Hyojin Kim ’08, American Council on Renewable Energy, Washington, D.C., USA
“Lead America hosts educational conferences for college students. I am the program director for the Intelligence, Defense and National Security program where I recruit and “handle” high profile speakers like two assistant directors of the FBI, faculty from the U.S. Naval Academy, among others. I’ve had the opportunity to dine with the State Department’s chief weapons inspector for Libya and was able to have a candid conversation with someone who served under eight presidents during some of America’s darkest hours. These experiences have transformed my outlook on government service. This internship has been a tremendous opportunity for personal growth and networking. This experience has reaffirmed my faith in the next generation of America’s leaders.”
- Drew Schneider ‘08, Lead America, Washington, D.C., USA
“I am at the Washington State China Relations Council, a nonprofit non-governmental business association. I plan programs, coordinate projects, and manage membership. Upon my arrival, I assisted in coordinating our annual banquet, the Council's largest fundraising event. More than two hundred guests attended the Gala, a great success. The panel discussion focused on the growing mutual economic dependence of the U.S. and China. Currently, I am working on a U.S. China energy forum to be held in this fall, focusing on clean technology and smart energy, as well as U.S. and China cooperation. I also do accounting, managing budgets and expenses. All essential skills we acquired in the first year are well applied in my job.”
- Weili Shen ‘08, Washington State China Relations Council, Seattle, USA
Private Sector
“I am in a group within KPMG that helps IGO's and charitable foundations manage their grant making processes. My first week they issued me a laptop, corporate charge card, and flew all 1400 U.S. interns for a week of training at the Ritz Carlton in Orlando. Last week I helped review quarterly disbursement requests from the health ministries of Kenya, El Salvador, and Haiti for malaria and tuberculosis prevention and treatment programs. I also visited a grantee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help improve their budgeting process for future grant requests. This grantee develops drugs for diseases that exclusively affect the world’s poorest."
- Eric Engelman ‘08, KPMG, San Francisco, USA
“I’m with Government Affairs, a small high-level group inside QUALCOMM. It's been great to build on my previous experience in high tech industries. To date, I‘ve collaborated on initiatives for mobile TV services, put together a report on next generation mobile broadband wireless access technologies, and worked with members of the Wireless Reach team and their community development efforts.”
- Emilie Lasseron ‘08, QUALCOMM, San Diego, USA
“I’m with Intel’s Learning & Development team (in HR), where I analyze Intel China’s current situation. Specifically, I talk to other major Multi National Corporations (MNCs) about their best practices in Leadership development. I examine how Intel could collaborate with these companies to develop the local leaders at the mid/higher management levels. Not only have I had a great learning experience working at Intel, but more importantly, I got the chance to connect with many HR managers from different MNCs in China and hear their insights about working in different corporate cultures.”
- Yu Shen ‘08, Intel, Folsom, USA
Public Sector
“I’m with the Homeland Security and Justice team and my work is focused on improving the use of risk management principles to better allocate security resources. This involves a great deal of research, interviewing, and writing. Most of my time is spent on preparations for an upcoming risk management forum hosted by the comptroller general, but my team is also assessing the Transportation Security Administration’s risk management practices. Interning at the GAO has been an invaluable experience and a great opportunity for me to learn and contribute.”
- Brett Collins ‘08, Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C., USA
"I’m writing several reports for Congress, ranging from the upcoming Guatemalan elections to an overview on Peru, and just published my first report on El Salvador! CRS is a very academic environment and I am really enjoying being able to study individual countries in depth. It’s fascinating to see the issues that Congress is interested in in varying countries. Attending different hearings and events has allowed me to get a true feeling for different government agencies and NGOs around town. I love D.C .and feel that my internship is a perfect complement to my IR/PS education”
- Miranda Jasper ‘08, Congressional Research Service, Washington, D.C., USA
“In my first week, I attended numerous events associated with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Conference. One was a healthcare symposium with the Prime Minister of St. Kitts & Nevis. Another was a workshop for a new think tank in the Caribbean, where I sat next to the Ambassador from Jamaica. After that busy week, I wrote several briefs concerning China’s participation in the Organization of American States (OAS) and the recent string of hijackings in Cuba. My long-term project involves researching trends in the service industry in the Caribbean to identify opportunities for economic growth beyond tourism. This internship has been a great way to get to know people in D.C. involved in research and policy-making on Latin America.”
- Joyce Lawrence ‘08, Inter-American Dialogue, Washington, D.C., USA
“I’m working in the Broker Dealer Division of the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations. I have observed on-site examinations of securities firms, including interviews with executives and office tours. I have also assisted examiners with tasks such as reviewing securities logs, analyzing trade blotters and compiling information from financial statements. In the office, I have learned about securities regulation, current industry issues, anti-money laundering, and how violations can lead to enforcement actions. The internship has really been a fantastic experience!”
- Beckie Padgett ‘08, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Fort Worth, United States
“My responsibility is the Asia Dialogue Project, which focuses on creating mutual understanding between China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. I will create the topics for the discussions and assist facilitation and overall event coordination. Discussions will include historical and territorial disputes, security, and cultural misunderstandings. The dialogue will be facilitated by Ambassador John McDonald, an expert in conflict resolution with more than forty years of diplomatic experience.”
- Thammaradee Prypiroonrojn ‘08, Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy, Washington, D.C., USA
