At the State Department I had the opportunity to perform a wide variety of tasks related to policy analysis. I prepared briefing materials and speeches, worked with a new economic database that is designed to provide current data for many nations, and researched topics such as intra-regional trade between APEC member states and oil wealth transfers to sub-Saharan African countries. It was rewarding to monitor issues as they unfolded in the news and to see my research used by other bureaus.

Outside of my internship, the other components of The Washington Center program kept me constantly challenged. Although I was initially intimidated to discuss global issues in such a well-educated city, my academic course on NAFTA helped me to develop my confidence and solidify my arguments. Because I was studying alongside students from all over the world (Korea, Mexico and Canada, for instance), there were many diverse viewpoints represented, and our class discussions were especially stimulating. Through Monday programming, I was exposed to various development agencies and became better informed about the many players involved in the international arena.

There’s nothing like living in the nation’s capital. Washington, D.C. is incredibly diverse, and there’s never a lack of events to attend and places to visit. I left the city with an amazing set of connections—some made through the program or my internship and others I stumbled upon randomly. Overall, I gained a better picture of where I’d like my career to take me and learned that my options—in both the private and public sector—aren’t as narrowly defined as I once thought they were.

For my internship, I was placed with the coordinator of the Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team (ACCWT) within the Office of Surface Mining (OSM). He oversees a program that places AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) members in local watershed groups throughout Appalachia to do capacity-building projects. My primary project was to gather and prepare information from each OSM/VISTA that the Office of Surface Mining sponsors (currently over 30) to update the OSM/VISTA program's website. I also worked with others at the OSM to get surplus computers to the OSM/VISTAs and other watershed groups that needed them, assisted in filling out several grant applications, and completed a number of smaller projects given to me by the ACCWT team leader.

Spending a semester in the professional world rather than on campus taught me a tremendous amount about adapting to an office setting and navigating interpersonal relationships. For example, I found that at my workplace emails were often ignored and the best way to reach a colleague was to call or speak with him or her in person. Each week, I also attended Leadership Forum events along with others involved in The Washington Center program. We heard from speakers like the president of National Public Radio (NPR) and several ambassadors or went on tours at sites of interest such as the Pentagon, the Capitol and the Library of Congress.

Participating in The Washington Center was a convenient way to get started in D.C. Not only did I gain valuable perspective on my interests and hands-on experience at my internship; I was provided with a fully-furnished apartment as well. Based upon connections I made at my placement site I obtained a position for the summer after I completed the program—and I can attest to the fact that high-quality, short-term housing isn’t easy to come by independently!