As a business management major at the University of Maryland, I never thought I would end up interning at an organization like IWP, whose main focus is on the areas of statecraft, national security, and international affairs. However, I believed that the internship was an interesting opportunity and that I would give it a shot. I am incredibly glad that I did!
The internship itself was amazing truly an amazing opportunity. Our intern class was given every opportunity to participate in IWP classes, networking events, and even some televised debates! As an intern, I was given access to learning opportunities that I have yet to find a rival for in my four years of undergrad.
The reason that my experience at IWP was so exceptional was the people whom IWP employs. I have worked a whole slew of jobs in my life, from bussing tables to organizing government contracts. I have never seen a staff so committed to what they do, and so happy that they get to do it. There was never a single moment at IWP that I thought to myself “wow, he/she is only here for the paycheck.” Every person that I got to interact with as an intern was passionate, intelligent, helpful, and most importantly, loved their work. I wish more places had the atmosphere that the Institute of World Politics creates. My time in this internship has really hammered home the idea that “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
All this to say, my time at IWP has been an incredible experience. I will still be graduating with a degree in business, but my time here has inspired me to angle my career towards politics. As I progress in my career, I can only hope that I will once again have the joy of working alongside another group of people as skilled and passionate as those at IWP.
Shawn Sukert
Fall 2019