Internship Experience
Here is some good advice from our first Global Studies student to serve as an intern with the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C.
"My name is Brittney Minichino, and I'm a Global Studies student. I chose this major because I wanted a degree that gave me a unique view of the world; I wanted a variety of classes I could take to fulfill my major requirements. I believed that the Global Studies major would challenge me and force me to live outside of my boundaries, and it did just that. Deciding to become a Global Studies major is no easy task for a freshman, this degree not only requires you to take classes on campus, it also requires you to accept the challenge of new experiences.
In 2010, my sophomore year, I decided to fulfill my internship requirement that coming summer. Internships are one of the requirements, along with a study abroad for the Global Studies major, and since finding a decent internship is very competitive, I decided to apply early. After reviewing the internships listed on the Global Studies website, I decided that I wanted to find an internship that would better fit my career aspirations, which forced me to look for programs on my own. My plan is to become a federal agent in Washington D.C. I started investigating opportunities at every federal agency I could think of and applied to all of the agencies taking intern applications for the summer of 2011.
I was accepted to the student internship program with the U.S. Department of State, and I was stationed in the Diplomatic Security Services/International Programs/ Africa Unit. During the 10 weeks of my internship, I had amazing opportunities handed to me. My unit specialized in the countries of Africa. My job was to assist the desk officers with writing country briefs, travel to embassies on Embassy Row, attend formal meetings, and I even had the opportunity to write a country brief and sit in with Assistant Secretary of State Eric Boswell. Interns also had opportunities to sit in and listen to important conferences with people such as Hillary Clinton.
The internship was an amazing experience, and I am glad that the Global Studies major requires students to complete one. It was a great opportunity and a good addition to a resume. Choosing the right internship is a very important task: it not only helps you realize expectations of the real world, it also helps you decide if that's the correct path for you. It is essential to find an internship that will help you succeed after college, and it is of extreme importance that you start looking for an internship early and make a list of places you would like to apply too. I chose this internship because it was in the area of interest for my career and I will carry this experience with me for the rest of my life."
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