World Affairs Council: A World View Expanding Internship

World Affairs was founded in 1947 after the conference in San Francisco which founded the United Nations. World Affairs is rooted in the same values as the United Nation of discussion and in-depth analysis of international issues facing our world. Throughout my sophomore year, I did an internship at the World Affairs Council, as a student ambassador. World Affairs Council is a nonprofit organization that helps inform people about international affairs and encourages informative discussions.

My internship at the World Affairs Council included working with approximately 20 other students and thoughtful discussion on issues such as the rise of nationalism and the effects of global warming. I got the chance to listen to speakers who were some of the best in their field. I also had the opportunity to talk with people who have a career in international affairs, including former diplomats under the Obama Administration.

The program culminated with four other students going in-depth in a specific international issue. The issue we decided to work on was how climate change has affected marginalized communities within sub-Saharan Africa. We worked with other nonprofits that were helping climate refugees from sub-Saharan Africa. My part of the project included researching, talking with professionals and learning from our partner organizations about specific climate refugees and how the numbers are going to be increasing in the future. The project concluded with us giving a presentation in front of an audience, about our research and the problems that this poses, and possible solutions.

This internship was a transformative experience for me. I learned about issues that too often don’t make the news which helped me to think critically, about international affairs from a holistic point of view and the effects these issues have on other underrepresented communities.

I gained valuable experiences and this internship has led to two other internships this summer. My first internship is with an organization where I will be working to educate girls on media literacy, educating the public, and working to ensure that this internship is available to future girls as I will be the first to do a high school internship at their organization. I will also be doing internships at a nonprofit that works to help children through challenging times and helps to support the children and their families. I will be interning for the CFO of the company, where I will learn more about finance and leadership skills. I am truly grateful for all that World Affairs has given me, and I hope to intern for them next school year too. I would encourage any SHC student to pursue this internship, and to get involved with World Affairs!