I knew interning with The Institute of World Politics would be a unique opportunity that would allow me to experience first-hand all its vast connections in the counterintelligence community. However, I did not expect the extent to which this internship has enhanced my knowledge and passion for national security or the incredible and accepting community that is IWP.
Despite my internship’s remote nature, due to the Coronavirus, my time at IWP has been my most rewarding and enlightening work experience to date. I had the fantastic opportunity to work with IWP’s Events and Communications staff under Director Katie Bridges. I have never been part of a more hard-working team and am so grateful for all the experience I have gained because of their support. I knew that every task I received was meaningful and contributed to the sharing and acquiring of global knowledge of IWP students, alumni, and the general population.
My most notable project was performing research for the Military Friendly Survey, which designates an academic institution as supportive and understanding of its military and veteran students. I learned so much about the hardships military students face and how institutions can improve their relationships with these students. In addition to the Military Friendly Survey, I proofread publications, performed audits, navigated Zoom and Eventbrite, and did many more crucial skill-building tasks. I also had the opportunity to go to many of IWP’s lectures and events. These webinars gave me access to the knowledge of incredible individuals and allowed me to interact with IWP faculty, such as Dr. John Lenczowski, IWP’s founder and president. During my internship, I have realized how dedicated IWP and its staff are to their mission of crafting a new generation of leaders in matters of statecraft and international relations.
Interning with IWP also gave me access to its fantastic and prolific career services program directed by Derrick Dortch. Mr. Dortch took time out of his busy schedule to help me identify specific career goals and create a personalized game plan for entering the national security sector. His dedication to IWP’s students and interns has blown me away; he helped us craft competitive resumes, network in our desired fields, and gave us access to informative literature about the intelligence community.
Overall, my time at IWP continued to exceed my expectations. Every experience I have had further adds to my belief that IWP is an outstanding example of an academic institution that treats its staff, faculty, and students like family.
Amelia Whiteley
Fall 2020
UPDATE, 5/19/2021 – Amelia interned with IWP again in Spring 2021. Below are her reflections on her spring semester at IWP.
I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with IWP’s Events and Communications Staff for both the Fall of 2020 and the Spring of 2021. Having interned at IWP for a year has been an incredible, exciting, and fulfilling experience that I will never forget. Both the staff and faculty at IWP have shown me how dedicated they are to educating future leaders in statecraft, which has, as a result, inspired me and ignited my passion for pursuing a national security career.
Even though my internship was entirely remote, my time at IWP has been the most rewarding work experience to date, regardless of modality. I had the opportunity to work solely with IWP’s unsung heroes, the Events and Communications team overseen by Director Katie Bridges. Working with this team has been one of the most enjoyable work environments I have ever been a part of, mainly because of its supportive, helpful, and friendly staff. In addition to working with such a fantastic group of people, I practiced and utilized skills relevant to all career sectors, such as navigating platforms like Zoom and Eventbrite, networking, writing articles, and drafting professional communications.
The most notable project I worked on this year was the Events and Communications course video project, which included recording and posting course introduction videos for IWP courses by those courses’ professors. This project was exciting and fascinating because I was able to learn about the classes IWP offers, as well as listen to the professors’ passion projects, life stories, and their diverse areas of expertise. In addition to working on various interesting projects, I also had the opportunity to attend many of IWP’s lectures and events. These webinars gave me access to the knowledge of several incredible people and allowed me to interact with IWP faculty, alumni, and specialists in the intelligence and national security sectors.
Interning with IWP also gave me access to its fantastic and dedicated career services program directed by Mr. Derrick Dortch. Mr. Dortch helped me identify specific career goals, provided me with career opportunities, and supplied me with invaluable and tailored advice about the national security and intelligence sector. He has helped all of the interns prepare for our future careers by allowing us access to his vast experiences, connections, and resources.
Therefore, my time with IWP was a life-changing and career-altering experience for which I will forever be grateful. This internship exceeded all of my expectations, and every experience I had with staff, faculty, students, and other interns was tremendously positive, interesting, unique, and, overall, special.
Amelia Whiteley
Spring 2021