Emma Gijsbers
BA International Studies; BA Spanish ‘21
Internship, Atlantic Council, Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center
The Adrienne-Arsht Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center Internship at the Atlantic Council that I participated in this summer cemented my interest in global environmental issues and climate development. The three months that I spent working there was my first real professional experience, outside of the research I conducted for the U-M School of Public Health. As someone who had changed their career ambitions multiple times, this internship showed me that working toward climate resilience is one of the most important actions we can take right now and it’s exactly the field I want to be in for the future. In addition to helping guide me onto a path I’m passionate about, I was able to gather valuable information which will be factored into research that I plan on publishing with the U-M Michigan Foreign Policy Council. I want to thank Ms. Amy Rose Silverman for supporting me on an internship experience that will serve my educational and career goals for the years to come.
Alexandra Pejas
BA International Studies; BA Economics ‘20
Internship, Washington, D.C.’s National Immigration Forum, Integration Program
Interning for the Integrations Team at the National Immigration Forum this summer allowed me to discover more about the work being accomplished within the sphere of immigration in the United States. I was mainly involved with the Whole Foods New York cohort in the Forum’s English language program—in charge of maintaining the virtual learning platform, updating the databases, and interviewing participants. Unsurprisingly, most of the students were not entirely fluent in English, thus the Spanish and Polish language skills that I gained from my International Studies education helped me immensely. Prior to this experience, I knew the immigration sphere in America was concerned with policy and advocacy initiatives. However, I had no idea that there were groups like my Integrations Team which were providing legal and language support, and working with immigrants directly. It exposed me to a new subset of immigration that I’d like to work in in the future. I would like to thank Ms. Amy Rose Silverman for the support she provided me during this experience, whose generosity allowed me to pursue a line of work that I’m passionate about.
Faith Williams
BA International Studies; minor, Anthropology; minor, French and Francophone Studies ‘22
Internship, Penn Museum Summer Internship Program, Cultural Heritage Center
This summer I was an intern at the Penn Cultural Heritage Center through the Penn Museum Summer Internship Program. I was one of four interns tasked with creating a literature review for an upcoming project at the Conflict Culture Research Network. My research specifically focused on illicit trafficking and looked at five resources: antiquities, drugs, diamonds, oil, and wildlife. Throughout the internship, I learned how to do quick and advanced research which will undoubtedly help me in the future, if I choose to continue with higher education. Certain gaps in the literature also piqued my interest and made me want to take courses that could answer the questions I still have. This internship was extremely useful in my own understanding of how my disciplines of study can be utilized in a variety of fields and I now have a better understanding of where my degree can take me. Thank you to Ms. Amy Rose Silverman, whose kindness aided me in participating in this experience without financial strain.
