Kaleigh Gillen

International Affairs

March 6, 2017 | As this semester’s halfway mark approaches, it is really starting to dawn on me what a unique experience this has been. I have spent most of my weekdays interning at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a non-partisan think tank that focuses on the Middle East and military affairs. So far in my internship, I have had the opportunity to sit in on a Congressional hearing on Capitol Hill discussing Israeli, Palestinian, UN, and US relations with the new Presidential Administration and wrote a piece regarding Iran and its nuclear capabilities in the voice of our CEO. Although my original draft was quite revised before being published, I took away a better understanding of how to draft an international policy write up.

Outside of my internship, I have been taking an International Relations seminar and have learned from influential speakers and leaders in the Foreign Policy world. From a pacifist and professor teaching peace to a research expert on the EU and Middle East at the Heritage Foundation—I have learned so much! It has been awesome to see the new administration unfolding and hear the opinions from so many different voices.

Often the topics that are covered in class continue to friendly conversations back in the dorm. To be surrounded by people that are genuinely interested in current affairs and politics and can maintain those conversations is pretty cool and most definitely has taught me more than any class lecture could.