Daemen College Student Witnesses Inner Workings of U.S. Foreign Policy at Department of State

"Having been offered an internship with the Department of State is the biggest accomplishment of my college career thus far. I am an intern in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the Youth Programs Division. My division is responsible for managing high school study abroad programs. I chose to work for this particular bureau because ECA’s mission of promoting mutual understanding worldwide embodies all that I value. 
My time at the State Department is spent completing various tasks. I work to increase the number of participants in our study abroad programs by recruiting potential candidates. I also review and analyze proposals of study abroad organizations, such as CIEE and AFS-USA, who request federal funding from our bureau. I am also invited to important meetings and discussions where I take notes and send them to colleagues who cannot attend. My tasks vary day by day.  

I am so thankful for my internship at the Department of State. I have had the opportunity to be present for a speech made by Secretary of State John Kerry. I was able to tour the White House. I volunteered at events where I met ambassadors from all over the world. I have also had the chance to network with numerous Foreign Service Officers, Civil Service Officers, and Retired Peace Corps Volunteers. I am so incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to witness the inner workings of U.S. foreign policy. I highly recommend anyone apply for an internship with the Department of State. 

My semester at the Washington Internship Institute has catapulted me further forward on my scale of success. This institute has helped mold my character, and I am now a more professional being. The classes offered at WII are critical for those who wish to develop advanced skills and competence. The debates and discussions in my foreign policy class have enabled me to develop a more broad perspective of the world. The workshops in my seminar class have aided in my professional development. WII does not only offer outstanding classes, but also exciting activities. Fellow interns and I were able to step inside George Washington’s house. We listened to ghost stories in Georgetown and stared at haunted houses in terror during a ghost tour.  The Washington Internship Institute is a wonderful organization, and one in which I will recommend to every student as soon as I return home to Daemen College."    

-Christine Kozlowski, Daemen College Senior, Fall 2015 Intern at U.S. Department of State