As a rising junior majoring in Security and Risk Analysis, I have had two main career road maps from which to choose. The first is Information and Cyber Security (ICS), and the second is Intelligence Analysis and Modeling (IAM). Thus far, I had spent my whole academic career exploring ICS and knew that I wanted an enriching internship experience that would expose me to the intelligence perspective of my career field. Working for just one semester with IWP has done that and so much more for me.
Every day was a new experience that showed me the career field in a new light. I was able to meet with some incredibly intelligent and high-ranking professionals from a broad range of disciplines. Authors, professors, government officials, diplomats, and intelligence officers are among some of those professionals with whom I had the opportunity not only to meet but to talk and exchange information. The connections that I was offered were unmatched.
I was assigned to work with Captain Dean Lane, USN-Retired and Senior Vice President for Cyber Intelligence at IWP. He is an expert in many fields and someone who is dedicated to helping his interns. I was offered the opportunity to be published several times on topics in which I was genuinely interested.
I would recommend IWP as an internship to any student willing to put in effort to take full advantage of the incredible opportunities that are at your fingertips. Panels, lectures, events, and tours were among some of the opportunities I had the fortune of attending.
I began my internship with the intention of exploring my options in the intelligence field. After two and a half months, I am able to say confidently that I have truly experienced both fields thoroughly. Interning at IWP has not only opened doors for me, but also brought me clarity for my career choice.