By Olivia Consuelo Ramos
Correspondent
Hope Margarum, a junior international studies major, worked in an internship program with the U.S Department of State this past summer. Through this internship, she gained wisdom and experience from her work and her colleagues, Margarum said.
“Being able to intern at the State Department was an amazing opportunity that opened my eyes to different career and postgraduate opportunities,” Margarum said.
Once she started her junior year at the College, she decided to pursue internships related to her major to gain experience. She knew from the beginning that she wanted to work with the U.S. government.
She searched for an internship that allowed college juniors and found one available in the State Department. She applied and was accepted to this position after going through a background check in March.
Margarum was placed in the Student Internship Program at the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs located in Washington, D.C. starting on June 17. Throughout the summer, she had access to many museums and was surrounded by many artifacts of U.S. history. Margarum said she felt very fortunate to be in an area that had so much information about the U.S.
“I was working with colleagues who were either civil servants or foreign service officers and a big benefit of my experience was being able to connect and network with people from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds,” Margarum said.
This bureau uses exchange programs between the U.S. and students from other countries to promote equality. These programs involve students from all around the globe that excel in academics, sports and art in order to instill inclusion and diversity.
She had several tasks at the bureau, including engaging with students from other countries involved in exchange programs, data entry, attending meetings and helping her colleagues that worked full-time for the bureau.
“I was truly exposed to a multitude of cultures and perspectives,” Margarum said. “Some opportunities I had during my internship included volunteering during the NATO Summit this summer, helping with various exchange groups coming from countries like South Korea, Australia [and] Nepal, and being able to sit in various foreign policy briefings.”
Her internship with the State Department ended on Aug. 23. She is now studying abroad in Prague for the fall 2024 semester. She recalls gaining insight on opportunities in the Czech Republic from coworkers in the State Department that had experience working in the country.
“I'm very excited to see the world now that I spent the summer learning so much more about what the government does to engage us globally,” Margarum said.
She has several plans for future work, such as teaching international studies abroad and returning to the State Department for a fellowship. Margarum plans to apply for another internship this summer.
