The Program Analyst
This portrait of Esther Popel Shaw ’19 and daughter Patricia hangs in the National Museum of African American History and Culture Gallery until Feb. 28 as part of the The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise photo exhibit.
Julianna Barr ’17, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
Major:
Internship title:
Program analyst intern.
How I got this internship:
I had a contact at the agency.
What I do, day to day:
I’m part of a team that’s conducting an audit of a current aid program in Afghanistan. Day to day, I collect information about this project’s performance and output. We are focusing on an infrastructure project, so I'm learning a lot about engineering and environmental assessments. I do a ton of reading and writing daily, and I speak regularly with coworkers in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Previous internship experiences:
I had a previous internship at Vanguard Communications in Washington, D.C. I really enjoyed my time at Vanguard, because I felt as though I did meaningful work.
Most valuable part of this experience:
The network I am able to build and the experiences I am gaining.
Advice for students considering internships:
Sometimes the most valuable part of an experience like this is not the work you are able to accomplish but the connections you can make. Being able to hear from others about how they came to be where they are is immensely helpful. You might learn about routes or opportunities that you didn't even know existed.
How this internship has helped me:
This internship has helped me advance my knowledge of the Middle East and about government involvement and aid programs. It also has made an entirely new network available to me.
Post-Dickinson plans:
I hope to find a job that will keep me in the D.C. area and allow me to travel. After a few years of work, I would like to go to graduate school.
Learn more
Published August 1, 2016