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Political science major writes policy suggestions in international relations internship

Emmy Todd ’22 discovered her APEX internship a year before applying through personal research and professor recommendations. A political science major at ������Ƶ, Todd assisted with research and programming at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C. While working at this internationally-focused “think tank,” she focused on global governance reform.

“My internship has helped me connect with accomplished individuals in the field of international relations who I was able to gain insight from about potential career paths.” 

—Emmy Todd

 

Why was the position a good fit for you? 

“The position was a good fit for me because it provided research opportunities in the fields of global governance and security; two areas that I am very interested in.”

What interests you most about the work you did? What were some of the things you did each day? 

“In the initial days of research, I would spend my time gathering relevant sources and creating an annotated outline to analyze them. After they were gathered and analyzed, I began to build my policy suggestions around the sources. During this writing stage, I would spend each day developing the policy suggestions and then making edits based on feedback I received.”

Who was your Fellowship mentor and how did they help you to succeed in this position? 

“My fellowship mentor was Professor Sarah Sobeck [professor of chemistry and associate dean of experiential learning]. She helped me succeed by providing extremely helpful feedback on my reflective reports. When I mentioned I was feeling overwhelmed in one of my reports, she made sure to give me resources to help me adjust to a new environment.”

How has the internship helped you to see what’s next for you? 

“My internship has helped me connect with accomplished individuals in the field of international relations who I was able to gain insight from about potential career paths.”

Is there anything else you want to share about your APEX Fellowship? 

“Even though my internship was remote, I was able to visit the office in Washington, D.C. with the help of my APEX Fellowship. I loved getting to tour the office and have a networking lunch with my supervisor from the Stimson Center.”

Posted in Experiential Learning on November 5, 2021.