While interning at First Book, an innovative nonprofit organization that distributes new books to low-income families with children, I got a glimpse of what I may encounter after graduation. On a daily basis I helped make arrangements for book distributions throughout the country, maintained First Book's database, answered email and telephone inquiries and tended to financial records. I even traveled to Dallas, TX and Vancouver, WA with the National Book Bank, a subsidiary of First Book, in order to deliver nearly 200,000 books to nonprofit organizations serving underprivileged children. As an English Literature major, I saw this internship as a terrific opportunity to serve those in need and support a cause in which I strongly believe - increasing literacy levels and exposing children to the joy of reading. I encourage other students to ask questions of their program advisor at The Washington Center and to thoroughly investigate an agency before taking a position in order to make sure that their placement is a good fit.

During my semester in D.C. I gained on-the-job experience while receiving advice from several leaders in the nonprofit sector and speakers lined up by The Washington Center. One week my group met with recent graduate school students who are currently working in the field, and I was also required to complete three informational interviews with professionals who hold positions similar to those I may pursue in the future. These activities provided me with incredible insight; I'm not sure that I would have felt prepared to graduate had I not come to Washington through this program.

My placement at the Terrorism Research Center (TRC) was a perfect match. Each morning I began by monitoring news from the Middle East and North Africa, paying particular attention to articles on terrorist activities and political instability. On a daily basis I would read 12 to 15 newspapers, collecting a range of opinions and constructing a complete picture of current issues. I posted relevant articles on the TRC website and analyzed incidents that had occurred in my region to produce a report for our online terrorist attack database. Along with this independent research, I participated in office brainstorming sessions and collaborated with staff on preparing articles for TRC's official weekly publication, the WAR Report.

Through this position, I developed the tools I'll need to survive in the real world and improved my time-management skills. I also established a network of contacts that may one day lead me to career opportunities. Nothing can replace the experience of actually being in an office and working alongside professionals who are employed in the field you want to enter. But because I participated in The Washington Center's program, I got much more from my internship. For example, the portfolio I created will allow me to provide a future employer with more than just a verbal description of what I've accomplished, and one of the highlights of my time in D.C. was listening to and interacting with high-ranking foreign diplomats at the Israeli, Egyptian and Saudi embassies.