The IWP Internship Experience: Lucas Hahnenberg

This summer, I had the pleasure of working as a Social Media Intern at IWP. In this role, I was tasked with producing content for IWP’s social media accounts, assisting in the publication of newsletters, and upkeeping data sheets on audience engagement, among other assignments. These tasks gave me a great feel for how important operations are for any organization, and I took a lot of pride knowing that I was advancing the mission of IWP, even if the task was small. Furthermore, I got a much-desired chance to flex my creative vision. One such example was a series of throwback posts I curated featuring photos from IWP’s history, which required me to dig through photo archives dating back to the 1990s.

I also participated in cohort-wide programming, including delivering intelligence and policy briefings, visiting sites around Washington D.C., and playing wargames. I was always eager for the next site visit or wargame because they encouraged me to think about national security in new and unique ways. These experiences were better when shared with fellow interns, with whom I became friendly through the welcoming, inclusive environment the internship program fostered.

One highlight of my summer was visiting the Pentagon with Amb. Woś and IWP students. It was captivating to see the inside of one of America’s most important institutions, and I was impressed by the Pentagon’s commitment to honoring U.S. history, allies, and military leaders.

I would like to thank Missy Pratt and Inna Osetrova for designing a fun, inclusive, and rewarding internship program, Katie Bridges for being a supportive and communicative supervisor, as well as the rest of the IWP community for welcoming me into their world. Every member of the IWP community enabled me to succeed this summer, and it was easy waking up knowing that I’d be spending my day at IWP.

Lucas Hahnenberg
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Class of 2027
Social Media Intern

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