Internship Experience

As a rising college senior, securing a great summer internship was my top priority for my final summer of undergrad. 

Interning at IWP was an experience of immeasurable value. In terms of the knowledge and experience gained, working on the Counterterrorism Group team under Derrick Dortch’s supervision, I grasped how the Intelligence Community operates day to day, and I had the opportunity to conduct analyses on the gravest threats to national security. 

IWP is hands-down the best experience I could have asked for when coming to D.C. I come from a small school in Colorado called Regis University, and I learned of IWP through The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) summer program. 

This summer, I had the incredible experience of interning at The Institute of World Politics. I worked on two separate research teams: The Cyber Security Team and The Counter Terrorism team.

My internship at The Institute of World Politics was the most impactful decision of my undergraduate life. The connections and insights made into the world of policy, intelligence, and national security will propel me forward into my career.

My personal career mission is to use my optimism about American ideals to help achieve our nation’s foreign policy goals. From my first day at IWP, I knew that this school was founded on those exact goals.

I had the IWP internship in mind when I was a junior in high school. I found it online and knew it would offer a beneficial experience in the fields of intelligence and national security. I never imagined that it would give me such a comprehensive look at my areas of study. 

My name is Joanna Miller, I am a junior at American University studying National Security and Foreign Policy with a minor in Mandarin Chinese Language, and am currently on the Cyber Intelligence Research Team at IWP. 

My time as an intern at The Institute of World Politics has been unique thus far. In addition to assisting in general staff duties, or helping in the Skybox (IWP’s Events and Communications Office), the highlight of my experience has been working with the Counterterrorism Research team.

I knew from the moment I walked into The Institute of World Politics Open House that it was place I wanted to be — from the genuine, warm smiling faces, to the prestigious yet inviting environment.