Value of an Internship

Yasamin Aftahi, MIA ‘20

Dare Women’s Foundation, Arusha, Tanzania

“My summer internship was with DARE Women’s Foundation, an NGO that works to empower women in the rural villages of Northern Tanzania through educational trainings, microloans and teaching entrepreneurial skills. Their main project involves teaching women and girls to sew sanitary pads for both personal use and hygiene education, as well as a means of individual income. I was able to help the organization expand its outreach, creating a starter media package with brochures, business cards, a newsletter template and photography. I also drafted grant applications and helped streamline communication with potential donors.”

Daniel Horan, MPP ‘20

Millennium Challenge Corporation, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

“I worked with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), an independent U.S. agency which finds constraints to growth in developing economies and then funds development grants to help mitigate those issues. In Côte d’Ivoire, I worked with U.S. and Ivorian staff to help refine indicator selections and then find or develop sources for baseline and ongoing data for those indicators. I also supported MCC and the U.S. Embassy during the AGOA forum, an annual conference to help promote free trade opportunities between the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa, which was attended by 22 members of U.S. Congress.”

Alexandra Murphy, MPP ‘20

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Nairobi, Kenya

“I traded my summer in San Diego for a winter in Nairobi to intern at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) with the Socioeconomics Research team. I worked directly on a research project called the ‘Feminization of Agriculture’ that looks at the effects of migration on the welfare of women in rural households in sub-Saharan Africa. The project uses World Bank survey data for seven sub-Saharan African countries. My responsibilities included cleaning and analyzing data to find the gendered patterns of migration and the impact it has on household productivity. It has been an excellent opportunity to see how Professor McIntosh’s class in Economic Development relates in an international research setting and use the skills from the Quantitative Methods series to conduct economic research.”

Orly Romero Sevilla, MIA ’20

Emzingo Consultant for SPARK Schools, Johannesburg, South Africa

"This summer I was an Emzingo fellow and worked for SPARK Schools, which are low-end private schools in South Africa based on the Rocketship learning model. My job was to develop a Character Quotient Framework for Teachers, and to improve the existing one for scholars. To do so, I conducted research and designed questionnaires for scholars and teachers. The second phase consisted of visiting schools and conducting interviews. The final phase entailed compiling and analyzing the data gathered and designing the Frameworks and suggesting areas of improvement for both scholars’ curriculum and for the teachers’ working environment."

Christopher Thompson, MIA ‘20

Emzingo, Johannesburg, South Africa

“I interned with Emzingo in Johannesburg to help design a toolkit to help creative entrepreneurs in townships gain basic business management skills. Throughout the project, we visited townships to conduct interviews with entrepreneurs, collected data through surveys and designed business templates. We worked closely with the Goethe Institut, which is a hub in Johannesburg funded and operated by the German foreign ministry. As someone who is getting a master’s degree in international affairs with a business management track, I believe this internship was the perfect way for me to flex my understanding of the material I was learning at GPS.”

Nikolay Zudin, MIA ‘20

Emzingo (Goethe Institut project), Johannesburg, South Africa

“This summer I worked for the Emzingo, an impact consulting company, and specifically contributed to a project ‘Creative Economies in Townships’ of the Goethe Institut in Johannesburg, South Africa. As a public policy professional, I came to GPS to make a transition to the private sector, while enriching my multidisciplinary perspective with international relations and Chinese studies. My team created a business toolkit for creative entrepreneurs that incorporated practical steps on how to set up a business model, marketing and sales, finance and networking at different business stages. I set project objectives, developed research agendas, controlled timeline and execution, validated drafts through field interviews and reported project deliverables to the client.”

Camila Gomez Wills, MPP ‘20

Business and Human Rights Resource Centre and Selina, London, U.K.

“This summer I joined the impact team at Selina, a global hospitality company that seeks to inspire authentic connections between its guests, local communities and employees. I created an interactive sustainability training, researched industry best practices in human rights and natural resource management, and helped deploy a baseline sustainability assessment. I also worked with the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre analyzing human rights and responsible procurement policies, collecting data on U.K. manufacturers and their ties to ultra-fast fashion brands, verifying modern slavery statements for a national registry.”

Mari Kojima, BA/MIA ‘20

United Nations High Commissioner for the Refugees, Geneva, Switzerland

“This summer, I worked as an external relations intern in the Africa Bureau at UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency Headquarters. I attended and was a part of numerous conferences such as the ECOSOC Event on Humanitarian Affairs, the Annual NGO Consultations and the Africa Event for NGOs. Besides composing memos on these events, I worked closely with the senior external relations officer for Africa on the annual report for the U.N. Secretary General. I also managed numerous briefings and talking points for our director in the Africa Bureau.”

Gustavo López, MPP ‘20

International Office for Migration, Global Migration Data Analysis Centre, Berlin, Germany 

“This summer I worked with the Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC) of the International Office for Migration om Berlin. GMDAC’s main mission is to provide research and data analysis for international migration. As a research intern, I worked primarily with the impact evaluation team. I was tasked with researching and designing an experiment to measure the causal impact of information campaigns disseminated via social media targeting potential migrants and migrants in Western Africa. My research will be used to conduct a pilot and potentially a multi-country study of IOM campaigns later this fall.”

Zixuan Dai, MPP ‘20

United Nations Agency - World Food Programme China Office, Beijing, China

“This summer, I worked as an intern in the South-South Cooperation (SSC) Unit at the World Food Programme (WFP) China Office. The WFP is the leading humanitarian agency addressing the challenges of global hunger and nutrition. WFP China received requests from other WFP country offices, seeking support from China to help end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutritional status and promote agriculturally sustainable development with their respective host governments. The internship allowed me to gain a new level of understanding of the work of United Nations agencies.”

Lauren Garvey, MIA ‘20

GR Japan, Tokyo, Japan

“In interned at GR Japan, a government and policy consulting firm based in Tokyo, Japan. My job was to assist in collecting background information about laws and regulations that pertain to our clients’ interests. Many of our clients were from Europe or the U.S., and we helped guide them on establishing a business in Japan and information pertaining to Japan’s policymaking sector. I learned a lot about Japanese policymaking and the various laws that have been put into place by the Japanese government.”

Anju Kobayashi, MIA ‘20

Mitsubishi Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan

“I interned at the Mitsubishi Research Institute (MRI), which is one of the biggest think tanks and consulting firms in Japan. There, I belonged to the Global Business Unit (GBU) and conducted research about the world industrial megatrends for 2030 from the perspective of Japanese companies. I also focused on healthcare industry trends and developed a business strategy proposal for one Japanese company. I learned a lot about how to analyze problems and how to build a global business strategy. What I learned at GPS, especially quantitative skills, were very helpful when I evaluated the cases.”

Alexandra Langford, MIA ‘20

U.S. Department of State, Seoul Embassy, Seoul, South Korea

“This summer I worked with the Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. The internship gave me a better understanding of U.S-Korea relations, as well as what embassy life is like. My main responsibilities were to draft reports on education topics and give presentations to Korean students on American education. I was also able to help during the June POTUS visit, draft a speech for the ambassador and travel throughout Korea to promote American education. The variety of experiences I’ve had at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul have both prepared and inspired me to pursue a career with the U.S. State Department.”

Ryan Rosenberg, MIA ‘20

Mitsubishi Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan 

"I spent this summer working at the Mitsubishi Research Institute (MRI) which is one of the largest and most prestigious think tanks in Japan. I worked in the Energy and Environment Division with the Low-Carbon Solutions Group. I was tasked with researching the outlook of offshore wind energy in California and relaying the relevant information and trends to my team to compare with Japanese energy policy. I feel that this opportunity has given me some tangible career ideas that I look forward to exploring this upcoming academic year."

Qiuyi Wang, MIA ‘20

Global Environmental Institute, Beijing, China

“Global Environmental Institute is a research-orientated nonprofit in China working alongside key policymakers, businesses, scientists, civil society leaders and local communities to foster dialogue and innovative solutions to protect the environment and enhance economic opportunity within China as well as in Southeast Asia and Africa. I worked for the Overseas Investment, Trade and the Environment Program, which is focusing on promoting the adoption of environmental and social principles into Chinas overseas trade and investment activities. My work includes desktop research on legislation and policies in Central African countries on illegal wildlife trade and illegal timber trade, data analysis on the soybean trade between China and Brazil. With these research results, we provided recommendations for potential intervention and policy improvements.”

Yang (Vera) Xuan, BA/MIA ‘20

China Merchants Bank Suzhou Branch, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

“This summer I interned at China Merchants Bank (CMB) Suzhou Branch, which is one of the largest commercial banks and leading company in the banking industry in China. I worked as a transaction banking intern in CMB’s Corporate Business and Financial Market Department, which is responsible for international business services, including foreign exchange settlement, offshore trading finance and more. Overall, my work focused on spot/forward foreign exchange (FX) settlements, forward option trading and other FX derivatives trading for mid- and large-size local (multinational) corporates.”

Jiahang Zhang, MIA ‘20

UNDP China, Beijing, China

“This summer interned with United Nations Development Programme China, whose mission is to help countries achieve sustainable development goals. Most of my work focuses on the facilitation of South Trilateral Cooperation projects in the Global Partnership Cluster. Specifically, I was involved in renewable energy technology transfer (RETT) projects between China and African countries. I worked on budget management and proposal revisions. In addition, I conducted research on national partner strategy, utilizing the research and analytical tools obtained in my coursework.”

Qinghui Zhang, BA/MIA ‘20

China Automobile Trading Co., LTD (CATCI), Beijing, China

“I served as an intern working with the supply chain team. We had six projects that our team needed to complete. The main project was writing a proposal to the automobile companies BMW and Porsche, which let them know what we can offer to them. I assisted my teammates with monitoring and checking our subcontractor’s daily key performance indicators and collecting data and information by using Excel to breakdown costs. The demand and supply theory I learned from Microeconomics at GPS helped me to analyze reports and proposals effectively.”

Saran Luvsanjambaa, MPP ‘20

Robin Carr, MIA ‘20

National Confederation of Agriculture of Brazil, Brasilia, Brazil

“Working as a summer fellow at the National Confederation of Agriculture of Brazil (CNA) was a great way to utilize and enhance the skills that I learned in my first year at GPS.  Being able to work with data allowed me to write reports on export opportunities in Asia, identifying which products had high export potential in Japan. I studied ITC methodology, and also came up with my own version. It was an exciting time to be an intern in Brazil, with the recent conclusion of the EU-Mercosur agreement.”

Sean Clark, MIA ‘20

Transforma, Bogotá, Colombia

“Over the summer, I interned with Transforma, an NGO based in Bogotá, Colombia that focuses on issues such as deforestation, sustainable development and gender equality. During my time at this organization, I carried out various research projects, wrote grant proposals and analyzed possible policy measures centered on the issues of climate change. I was able to use both quantitative and qualitative skills that I had learned at GPS and implement them into professional tasks at the office.”

Federico Arroyo, BA/MIA ‘20

Chevez Ruiz Zamarripa, Mexico City, Mexico

“This summer, I spent my time in a city that I cherish and love: Mexico City. I interned with a consulting firm that specializes in litigation and fiscal issues. I worked on the transfer pricing team, a field that is becoming more and more relevant as trade between countries increases. I helped determine at what price a certain good should be sold at in Mexico, and relayed this to companies, including many of the Fortune 500 list. In turn, the companies can then justify their prices to their respective tax agency.”

Rohan Oprisko, BA/MIA ‘19

Green Global Growth Institute, Mexico City, Mexico 

“This summer I interned for Green Global Growth Institute’s (GGGI) Mexico Program in Mexico City. I researched different green growth strategies that could be employed in Mexico with the goal of aiding the country in the process of realizing its Nationally Determined Contributions. A notable project that I worked on is the Mexico Subnational Green Growth Report. This report assesses possible areas of green growth for the 32 Mexican states, specifically focused on the subjects of decarbonization, resiliency, economic innovation, and social and gender inclusion. I assessed these growth strategies largely through data manipulation skills that I gained at GPS.”

Brenden Paulsen, BA/MIA ‘20

Colombia Reports, Medellin, Colombia

“I spent my summer interning for a news organization in Medellin, Colombia called Colombia Reports. The organization reports on Colombian news in English for an audience in the United States and Europe. In this internship, my focus was on environmental issues ranging from illegal mining to energy generation.  I also gained a perspective on Colombia’s political system and socioeconomic structure which are important considerations for creating effective policies. This experience also afforded me the opportunity to immerse myself in Spanish and the Colombian culture while researching environmental issues of the region. I also formed life-long friendships and made key connections for my professional network. It was a great experience.”

Kristin Rounds, MIA ‘20

Columbia Reports, Medellin, Columbia

“My internship was at a news organization called Colombia Reports based in Medellin, Colombia. I covered politics in the country, closely following the local elections and the newly implemented peace process. I had the opportunity to research topics I’m interested in, such as renewable energy projects in the region as well as gender equality issues. I’ve also had the opportunity to work on my Spanish. Being able to travel the country and study the complexities of post-conflict development has been both eye-opening and supplemental to my understanding of global politics.”

Lin Ou, MIA ‘20

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), Bangkok, Thailand

“This summer I worked as an intern in the ICT and Development Section at UN ESCAP in Bangkok. This division promotes the construction of an Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (AP-IS) among ESCAP member countries. My daily duties included conducting research on the ICT status, generating graphs for the ICT capacity among regions by STATA, interpreting analysis into accessible briefs and assisting with the preparation of meetings. It was exciting to work with people from different countries and backgrounds, and participate in meetings where I could listen to delegates’ interests and concerns.”

Travis Welburn, MPP ‘20

Innovations for Poverty Action, Philippines

“Over the summer, I spent my time working in the Philippines as a research assistant with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), a nonprofit research organization. The nonprofit is launching a program called USAP-TaYOE, designed to connect far flung communities to government agencies and programs that they may not be aware of due to lack of communication between the leaders of these communities and the government line agencies. The program has a specific focus on out of school youth (OSY). My duties included monitoring the baseline surveys to make sure the statistics weren’t biased or undermined, and explaining the mechanics of the program to key stakeholders.”

Noah Gerber, MIA ‘20

Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.

“This summer I worked at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington D.C. I served as an analyst with the Defense Capabilities and Management team, investigating the consolidation of the Defense Resale System and its impacts. This work required me to utilize program analysis skills as well as experiment with assessment tools learned in Quantitative Methods classes at GPS. It was legislatively important work and was exciting to see how skills I learned during my first year at GPS are directly applicable to the real world.”

Hsin-Yao (Amy) Huang, MIA ‘20

Global Taiwan Institute, Washington D.C.

“I interned at the Global Taiwan Institute (GTI), a bipartisan think tank dedicated to enhancing U.S.-Taiwan relations and engaging Taiwan in the international community. I worked on a report on the political economy of Taiwan as well as independent research on the potential U.S.-Taiwan bilateral trade agreement. I was also responsible for social media management and attending events on behalf of GTI. The analytical and networking skills I learned at GPS were very useful.”

Nick Rhodes, MIA ‘20

United States Trade Representative’s Office, Washington, D.C.

“Working at the United States Trade Representative’s office, I worked quantitatively with economic data to analyze trade flows and research foreign tariff and subsidy laws to monitor WTO compliance. I made particular use of the quantitative and data management skills I learned at GPS, putting the economic concepts covered in class into a real-world context. It’s very interesting to actually work in the same areas we have covered in international trade discussions in various courses.”

Aaron Riley, MIA ‘20

U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.

“I served as a stabilization advisor intern on the Asian and Pacific Affairs team in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) in the U.S. Department of State. CSO’s mission is to anticipate, prevent and respond to global conflicts that undermine U.S. national interests. My projects related to electoral violence and atrocity prevention. I developed tools to monitor global atrocity risks such as actor profiles, a stakeholder influence tracker, a map of recent atrocity related events and potential scenarios of when an atrocity could take place. These tools will be utilized by like-minded international partners at various multilateral meetings.”

Meghan Scott, MPP ‘20

Office of South and Southeast Asia, U.S. Department of Treasury, Washington, D.C. 

“This summer I further developed my expertise in international economic analysis by collaborating with desk economists to track developments in the economies of Singapore, Malaysia and Pakistan. I prepared overview briefers for senior officials on these countries, drawing on the memo writing skills taught at GPS. I also prepared briefing materials for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) senior finance officials meeting held this summer and got to participate in several interagency processes, including USTR hearings. I learned a lot about the digital payments system and fintech, the topics du jour in international finance.”

Mark Witzke, MIA ‘20

East-West Center Washington, Washington, D.C. 

“I spent this summer working at the East-West Center in Washington as a part of their Young Professionals Program. I spent most of my time writing reports, pitching my own articles for our public diplomacy blog, ‘Asia Matters for America,’ and researching economic, social and cultural connections between Asian countries and the U.S. Serving as editor-in-chief for the China Focus Blog was good preparation. Furthermore, after the intense workload of GPS, I found that my time management skills and experience with collaborating and communicating with my fellow students was helpful. I also felt like my economic and quantitative skills were a lot more solid than some of the other interns from the D.C. policy schools.”

Yuhan Zhang, MPP ‘20

United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), New York, NY

“This summer, I worked as program support and communication intern at the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) in New York. UN-Habitat promotes the development of socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements and strives for adequate shelter with better living standards for all. The intern team assisted with High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). I was engaged in numerous conferences and conducted a final report with my colleagues. I also interviewed panelists during the HLPF’s side event organized by UN-Habitat and generated a video for social media.”

Fiona Alexani, BA/MIA ‘20

Changing Tides Foundation, Encinitas, Calif.

“Changing Tides Foundation (CTF) is a San-Diego based nonprofit organization established to tackle environmental, health and social issues around the globe. Since its creation, the foundation was involved with The Plastic Swear Jar Challenge, Clean Mexi-Agua and CTF Disaster Relief: Caribbean Project. This summer, I helped manage and execute the foundation’s summer programs and events, including Untamed Daughters Surf and Skate Day, the largest event the foundation had ever hosted in collaboration with Girl Swirl, a community of female skaters. I also prepared grant applications, communicated with collaborating partners and helped with content creation.”

Rebeca Appel, MPP ‘20

Land Use and Environmental Group (LUEG), San Diego, Calif.

“I interned this summer (and am continuing through the school year) at the County of San Diego’s Land Use and Environmental Group Executive Office. I am focusing on the Food Systems Initiative, which strives to provide equitable access to affordable and healthy food, as well as assist food producers in sustainability and business practices. I have also learned about land use and environmental preparation and policymaking for the County Board of Supervisors.”

Hannah Leigh Ashby, BA/MIA ‘20

Tafkik Namati TV (TNTV), San Diego, Calif.

“This summer, I had the opportunity to work with an NGO called Tafkik Namati TV (TNTV) on the San Diego Park-to-Bay Project. I worked directly with the architect of the project, Noura Bishay, who came to San Diego from Egypt and is passionate about giving underserved San Diegans access to walkable parklands and neighborhoods. From contacting professors about how the project impacts health outcomes to pitching potential investors, the internship allowed me to delve into a wide range of topics.”

Zachary Boise, MIA ‘20

San Diego County Taxpayers Association, San Diego, Calif.

“The San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA) is local think-tank and nonprofit created to support the public, civic leaders and policymakers with independent research on economic and quality-of-life issues impacting taxpayers countywide. This summer I had the opportunity to do research on the issue of affordable housing and homelessness.  I was able to write policy recommendations for agencies including the Regional Taskforce for the Homeless (RTFH).  My experience helped me gain an understanding of the important role that organizations like this one have on government agencies.”

Rachel Finerman, BA/MIA ‘20

Build A School Foundation Inc., San Diego, Calif. 

“Over the summer, I worked as an intern at Build A School Foundation, a nonprofit based in San Diego that works to build schools in Southeast Asia. I created the organization’s Instagram account and helped create a campaign to encourage students to get involved in fundraising to provide underprivileged children in Southeast Asia with places to learn. I also created a database of organizations that provide grants to nonprofits like Build A School Foundation and submitted several grant proposals. In September, I traveled to Vietnam to represent Build A School Foundation at the grand opening of a school that was funded by the organization.”

Xinyu Huang, MIA ‘20

San Diego Hunger Coalition, San Diego, Calif.

“This summer I worked as a data and research intern for the San Diego Hunger Coalition (SDHC). It’s a nonprofit leading coordinated action in the fight against hunger. I maintained, extracted and analyzed data. I also wrote reproducible codes for extracting data of related programs like Summer Meals and Free or Reduced Price Meals to create accessible data dashboards. According to the research from SDHC, there are more than 500,000 residents who don’t have food for an active, healthy life.”

Diego Jimenez, BA/MIA ‘20

Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation), San Diego, Calif.

“Over the summer, I interned as a data analyst and reporting specialist working under the corporate IT team. The internship required me to gather and transform large amounts of data. This information was used to make a variety of visualizations to inform management on data driven decisions. The skills I used at Sony are the same that I use at GPS, from technical skills such as data management and visualizations used in the Quantitative method track, to soft skills including presenting and working within a team used in my political science courses.”

Renee Johnson, BA/MIA ‘20

Bainbridge Consulting, San Diego, Calif.

“I interned as a consultant business analyst for Bainbridge Consulting. I worked on teams of 2-4 people and conducted primary and secondary research pertaining to information collection and synthesizing strategies for clients. I enjoyed my internship tremendously as it allows me to think critically, research heavily and synthesize large amounts of information into easily discernable main points. The ability to sift through data and collect key ideas is an integral part of my learning at GPS.”

Niki Kalmus, MPP ‘20

Office of Councilmember Chris Ward, City of San Diego, San Diego, Calif.

“This summer I served as a policy intern for City of San Diego Councilmember Chris Ward. I primarily supported the Councilmember’s role as chair of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless (RTFH). I conducted policy research to inform critical policy decisions, prepared policy briefs to support Councilmember Ward’s preparations for council and committee meetings and worked on regional homeless strategies. I used the quantitative skills I acquired at GPS to identify whether progress was being made towards preventing and reducing homelessness in San Diego.”

Mei Ke, MIA ‘20

NAVWAR, NIWC Division Intern, San Diego, Calif.

“This summer I worked in the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) as part of the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) team. In general, my days were full of attending technical workshops with engineers to see the current technology being developed on base, compiling research and data across multiple platforms, interpreting analysis into accessible briefs, and delivering presentations to top leadership. These tasks were all extensions of my career goals to go into cultural interpretation and research.”

Josh Kickenson, MIA ‘20

International Rescue Committee, San Diego, Calif.

“The International Rescue Committee is an organization that works with immigrants and refugees all over the world. As an intern for the International Rescue Committee in San Diego, I worked with clients helping them with their applications for naturalization and other USCIS applications, as well as helping the fulltime accredited representatives by doing research to help their clients. I got to work with clients from many different countries and backgrounds every day and helped them navigate the complicated immigration system.” 

Paul Koenig, BA/MIA ‘20

1798 Consultants, La Jolla, Calif. 

“This summer I interned at 1798 Consultants, a pharmaceutical consultant company in La Jolla that focuses on market analysis and research in order to provide market predictions and recommendations to various pharmaceutical companies. I was given the opportunity to apply my data analysis and qualitative research skills to professionally analyze the competitive market of prescription drugs in the U.S., as well as create models predicting the trends of products in the future.”

Lily Maxfield, BA/MIA ‘20

Ceres Community Project, Sebastapol, Calif.

“This summer I interned at Ceres Community Project in my hometown of Sebastopol, Calif. I primarily worked on the development team writing grant proposals and reports to foundations, companies and government organizations that fund programs on food security, organic agriculture, climate change policy advocacy and research. I also conducted focus groups and surveys for evaluation of Ceres’ youth development program. Further, I helped with a pilot program Ceres is doing with several other nonprofits and the State of California studying the impacts of food as medicine for medical patients with heart disease.”

Nahal Mirfendereski, MPP ‘20

Refugee Health Unit - Reem Zubaidi and Amina Sheik Mohammed, San Diego, Calif.

“The Refugee Health Unit (RHU) is located in East San Diego, in City Heights, where refugee populations are concentrated. The organization was started to have a direct impact on helping refugees, and it has built many local connections with other Ethnic Community Based Organizations (ECBOs) to execute this mission. My experience as an intern included research, as well as work on Powerpoint presentations, reports, Excel files and social media. I researched politics regarding refugees, as well as how climate change is exacerbating the global refugee crisis. I also researched grant funding opportunities for the organization.”

Inderpal Pamma, MPP ‘20

LA Conservation Corps, Los Angeles, Calif.

“My summer internship was with the LA Conservation Corps, a nonprofit that works to help at-risk youth and young adults in gaining work experience and job training in green jobs and completing their education. My role involved analyzing data from their social media accounts to find useful trends that could help them more effectively use their social media accounts. I also researched best practices for habitat restoration, recruitment opportunities, how best to engage corps members in extracurricular activities and more.”

Sara Sánchez Santana, MPP ‘20

International Rescue Committee, Salt Lake City, Utah

“This summer I had the opportunity to intern at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Salt Lake City as an employment specialist. The IRC’s main goal is to help refugees across the globe find a safe place to establish themselves and have a new start. The organization helps refugees overcome challenges such as finding a job and being self-sufficient on their path to resettlement. We evaluate a person’s skills, their likes and dislikes, their means of transportation and location, language barriers, and the necessities of their family. I did a little bit of everything from arranging interviews with employers to showing refugees how to ride the bus and open their first bank accounts.”

Sebastian Sarria, MPP ‘20

City of San Diego Sustainability Department, San Diego, Calif.

“At the City of San Diego, I interned with the Climate Action Plan Implementation team within the Sustainability Department. Primarily, I worked in the development of the City’s first Equity Indexing Project, which will score indicators throughout San Diego at the census tract level and how equitable they are to one another. Beyond this project, I’ve also helped with the development of a regional Community Choice Aggregation Joint Powers Authority (JPA), understanding the EV market in San Diego, and writing memos on the Green New Deal and its potential impact on San Diego and the region.”

Zilu (Luna) Zeng, MIA ‘20

HDMI Licensing Administrator, San Jose, Calif.

“This summer I worked with HDMI Licensing Administrator as a research intern focusing on intellectual property compliance. I conducted market research on cable manufacturers and investigated their geographic distribution and compliance level. I also researched how the U.S.-China trade war tariff affected HDMI global supply chain. In addition, my tasks included some communication work on business development issues, e.g. quarterly royalty updates and license entry and termination, with manufacturers in the U.S., China, Japan and Korea. I found the skillsets I developed in GPS, especially the language skills and quantitative methods highly helpful.”

Shaoqian Zhang, MPP ‘20

International Rescue Committee, Salt Lake City, Utah

“The International Rescue Committee provides opportunities for refugees, asylees, victims of human trafficking, survivors of torture and other immigrants to thrive in America. This summer, I worked with the employment team of IRC assisting newly arrived refugees to find and maintain gainful employment in Salt Lake City and network with current and potential employers to facilitate the hiring of refugees. This experience enormously improved my problem-solving capability, emergency-responding ability and coordinating skills. I start to realize that our efforts could change peoples’ lives.”