As a rising college senior, securing a great summer internship was my top priority for my final summer of undergrad. The internship program at IWP was brought to my attention by an undergraduate professor of mine who is former CIA and was directing me towards professional opportunities that would give me exposure to the network of the intelligence community world and national security sector. He could not have recommended a better place, program, and experience.
IWP has exposed me to practitioners from all disciplines across the national security field. The opportunities for personal and professional growth, networking, and real-world experience have been unparalleled. Having the opportunity to audit a class on comparative intelligence systems helped to expand my understanding of the intelligence community on a global scale and to know the counterparts abroad of each component of the U.S.’s intelligence community. Being able to attend events such as the Association of Former Intelligence Officers’ luncheon and touring the Pentagon with IWP alumni enriched my summer in D.C. through personal interactions with young professionals in the field. My research team helped me discover a new area of interest for my academic and professional expertise. My fellow interns and the kind, caring IWP staff all contributed to a successful summer far beyond what I ever imagined to be possible.
Now, I am going into my senior year at Dickinson College feeling exponentially more prepared to apply for jobs in the field. My experience at IWP has provided insight into how I want to launch my career, and it has exposed me to new and interesting options that I had not previously considered.
I recommend IWP to any student seeking to gain valuable work experience and unparalleled professional development who is preparing for a career in national security, foreign policy, or international relations.
Amanda Custer
Summer 2018
The video below about Amanda’s internship was created by Dickinson College.
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