My internship at The Institute of World Politics has been hands down one of the best internship experiences I have had. From day one of my internship, IWP welcomed me into their community and made me feel like I was one of their students.
As a senior at American University studying foreign policy and national security, I knew that IWP was the right place for me. While at IWP, I had the opportunity to network with alumni and professors who were experienced professionals in my desired career field, and I learned more about potential career paths that I could pursue upon graduating in the spring.
I worked in the “Skybox” with the Events and Communications team. While in the Skybox, I worked on an array of tasks such as writing article summaries of past lecture events, designing posters for upcoming events, writing tweets for IWP’s social media, and helping run events. No two days were ever the same, and I learned how to be flexible with last-minute changes that arose during events. What I loved most about working with the events team is how I got to help run a variety of events such as lecture events, the Chancellor’s Council Meeting and Dinner, and the Annual Kościuszko Chair Conference.
One of my favorite speakers at IWP was Lieutenant General Michael Nagata, USA, Ret. LTG Nagata came to IWP to discuss whether the U.S. was “winning” against terrorism and what its future counterterrorism strategies should focus on. Not only was LTG Nagata a phenomenal speaker, but I found his discussion on the definition of “winning” in the field of counterterrorism fascinating.
My advice for incoming interns is to take advantage of every opportunity given to you. IWP provides interns with many opportunities such as the chance to audit a class, meet with their career services, and attend networking events. The IWP staff are phenomenal and are genuinely interested in helping you with your future career goals.
Jackie Droesch
Fall 2019