Hi everyone! My name is Robin and I’m a rising Senior majoring in Political Science, Communications, and French. This summer, I’ll be working as a Communications & Events Intern at The Brookings Institution. Specifically, I’m working under the Economic for The Hamilton Project, which focuses on creating policy for long-term economic growth for all Americans. Brookings is consistently named the top think tank in the world, and I am excited to learn more about the policy-making process, as well as use my passions for journalism and design through communications. While I have had a number of marketing and public relations internships in the past, I look forward to integrating this with my interest in the political sphere.
While I do not know exactly what my day-to-day intern experience will look like, I do have an idea of some of my tasks will be. I will do everything from planning events and contacting media, managing the backend of the website, writing and editing, drafting social media posts, and working on any other projects that come up. Here are my five learning objectives for the summer, which include both personal and professional goals:
- Discuss the desired brand of The Hamilton Project with supervisors and other coworkers and work to ensure that all materials I create (tweets, articles, designs, etc.) fit with their values and priorities.
- Continue experimenting with programs I have used in the past but do not currently have access to, such as PhotoShop and various media contact platforms.
- Network with people at The Brookings Institute, with Tulane alumni, and with previous employers/supervisors.
- Continue the blog that I began while studying abroad in France in order to journal about my intellectual experiences and share my adventures in DC.
- Participate in general intern events outside my department in order to meet people with similar interests from different backgrounds and learn how to take advantage of this opportunity.
I have felt a connection to the Newcomb College Institute since my arrival at Tulane. After attending an all-girls boarding high school, I wanted to find a safe space meant for female empowerment on campus. This led me to becoming a Newcomb Scholar and joining Newcomb Senate, of which I am now Vice President.
Though my internship is not inherently connected to women’s issues, it does have a strong connection to NCI’s mission. As a policy-making institution, Brookings has an active voice in decisions that affect women, and it will also give me a sense of women’s leadership in a male-dominated sector that is often based on power dynamics. Its involvement with issues that NCI values can easily be found in their latest news stories; in March, The Hamilton Project released an in-depth article about women in the labor force, and Brookings published a different article on the lack of women in academia. The people at Brookings seem to genuinely care about equality and growth, which is why I resonate so much with their values and work.
As the start of my internship approaches, I am catching up on current events, finalizing the details for my housing in D.C., and, of course, filling out lots of paperwork. It has been a long process of applying, interviewing (twice), completing a background check, and working on the on-boarding process, but I’m excited to get started with this new experience. Check back soon for more updates!