Moving forward, I’m dedicated to pursuing a career in national security with the U.S. government. This internship has given me an incredible advantage in knowing what I want to do and how to pursue it....

My main duties included thorough literature reviews to understand current scientific research on geoengineering – the projected costs, risks, and effectiveness of the technology, along with the science behind it and the potential governance mechanisms to monitor, control, and possibly deploy it. I worked with Chief Scientist Michael MacCracken using a climate model, MAGICC, to simulate geoengineering and carbon emissions scenarios....

I gained invaluable experience over the course of my internship, in the form of not only skills and knowledge but also in networking, career guidance, and a nascent but fiery passion for international relations and diplomacy.

Having never worked in any sort of law office before, I was initially intimidated by the jargon and by the number of day-to-day activities that I was completely unfamiliar with. However, my fears were assuaged almost instantly when one of the attorneys noticed the perplexed look on my face and leaned over to explain what “a split plea with a deferred sentence” meant....

Exposure to the countless factors, from the crime itself to the role of the defense attorney to the nature of commitment in DC opened my eyes to the many ways in which public policy is both felt and enacted.

As a winter Government Relations Intern at American Rivers, I reviewed Congressional hearings, tracked and analyzed legislation, and researched legislative and policy positions to advise American Rivers’ Government Relations staff. Through this experience, I interacted with a number of individuals to forward American River’s mission....

I visited a science center and two village centers. These visits were positive because I got a chance to meet the users of the chatbot application I was helping build. Besides the joy that came from seeing the kids interact with the games, I gained insights into Indian cultural attributes that have made some of Pratham’s models possible....

I was fully immersed into the life of a paralegal: I served subpoenas, wrote transcripts and put together additional exhibits that were used in court, attended hearings, redacted confidential information from sensitive documents, wholeheartedly believed in organization and traceability thus, making numerous indexes by quickly familiarizing myself with excel, and delivered materials to attorneys during the middle of their trial.

While working on legislative research and talking with staff about proposed bills, I became aware of the strong overlap and integration of legal research and policy-making.

My eight weeks interning at the CDC informed both my academic and professional endeavors. I was moved by the immediate impact that I was able to have within my team and by the relationships that I was privileged to make in a small team setting.