Liberal Arts Major(s): Criminology, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Minor: English
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Experience Time: Fall 2020

Give us a brief summary of your experience?

For the last three months, I have served as a writer with the Borgen Project. A non-profit organization based in Seattle, Washington, the mission of the Borgen Project is to alleviate extreme poverty around the world by making the issue a focus of American policy. I have published several articles on an array of topics and have raised $500 to support lobbyists and those doing the work on the ground in impoverished countries. I have called, emailed, and written my Congressional representatives urging them to support legislation to benefit those living below the poverty line.

I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my career, but this internship changed that...the work and research that I have done over the last 12 weeks has shown me that I want to expand my research and lesson plans to incorporate foreign studies and policies.

How did this experience impact you academically?

I have learned so much through this experience. I have always been an advocate for helping those in need, but after this internship, I am able to provide concrete reasons as to why we should assist third-world countries. Such as, providing access to modern medicine controls the population, countries that can properly educate their youth are less likely to become terrorist nations, the more countries that rise above the poverty line are more potential trading partners for the United States, and the list goes on and on. International affairs mirror so much of American society and I am so lucky to have learned as much as I did.

How will this experience impact your career goals?

I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my career, but this internship changed that. I still plan on doing research and teaching--that much has stayed the same; however, the work and research that I have done over the last 12 weeks has shown me that I want to expand my research and lesson plans to incorporate foreign studies and policies.

How has the College of the Liberal Arts helped you to find and/or succeed in this experience (e.g., adviser, faculty, staff, enrichment funds, etc.)?

I was lucky enough to be a recipient of Liberal Arts Enrichment Funding! This internship required each of its interns to raise $500 to be put towards lobbying and medical advances for impoverished communities. The funding I received helped boosted me to meet that $500 goal.