Hello,
I am rising senior at Tulane majoring in Political Science – International Relations, International Development, and Social Policy and Practice. I have been accepted to an intern position at the State Department in Washington, D.C., in their Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor this summer. Specifically, I will be working for the Office of Global Programming, which manages the Human Rights and Democracy Fund, Economic Support Funds, FREEDOM Support Act funds, the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund, and Support for East European Democracy Act funds (See more). My advisor has informed me that they have planned a mixture of activities for me to work on across all of their portfolios. My day-to-day work will consist of attending meetings and preparing briefings for 32 to 40 hours a week. The work I will be doing helps promote democracy and human rights across the world.
My learning objectives are:
1. I would like to learn through this internship if public service is a career path I would like to pursue.
2. I intend to improve my writing skills.
3. I will grow my professional network and make connections that will lead to possible job opportunities post-college.
4. I will become more independent by living on my own, relying solely on public transport to get around the city.
5. I hope to better understand how policy is made inside the United States government when looking to best promote democracy and human rights throughout the world.
I hope that by the end of this summer I will have achieved all of these goals and more.
NCI’s advocacy for gender-integrated curriculum gave me the opportunity to take courses that have inspired and prepared me for this internship. I have become passionate about empowering women to achieve their full human potential. This internship provides a chance to pursue my passion and will assist me in becoming a future leader in this field. Women and minorities tend to be the victims of human rights violations, and therefore have the most to benefit from a well-functioning democracy that protects individual rights. This internship directly relates to NCI’s mission to empower women.
In preparation for this internship, I have been in contact with my boss and other supervisors. Once I receive my security clearance I will have more information on training days and specific details on how to further prepare for the work I will be doing.
I am most looking forward to learning about how the United States promotes human rights internationally. This internship is a unique opportunity to learn about international labor standards, foreign assistance, and government bureaucracy. Furthermore, I am interested in experiencing Washington D.C. right before the midterm elections in the current hyper-polarized climate.
Stay tuned for more updates!
Best,
Rachel Grand