Organization: Anti-Defamation League, Washington D.C.
Year: Class of 2017
Major: Quantitative Economics and Community Health
Duration: Summer
Compensation: funded through the Tisch Summer Fellows program
Tufts Career Center is spotlighting another student working in the non-profit field. We're traveling from Geneva to Washington D.C. to showcase what Jumbos can do and what they've learned.
We know that a lot of big decisions are made in D.C.--like whether Bill, the bill, can become a law! (#SchoolhouseRock) While working in D.C. with a small staff of four employees and three other Legislative Assistants, Keren worked on important issues such as anti-bullying, 21st century policemen and gun control in the Middle East. Utilizing the Tisch College network helped Keren have one of the best internships she's ever had. Her experience taught her a lot about her career goals and internship best practices.
The Jumbo Network
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| Sometime your best efforts come from reaching out to others (source) |
The Tisch College Summer Fellows Program facilitated networking opportunities for Keren, along with the other fellows, and offered plenty of guidance before and during her internship.
In Keren's words: "It was really a big part of [the experience] being a part of a Tisch fellowship rather than just having an internship in DC. We had [a mentor] we met with every week, we got together with our group of other Tisch fellows ... and then there were all these events for Tisch summer fellows. I met really interesting alumni through it who I'm still in contact with [and] are amazing people for job connections and things like that."
Even before her internship began, Keren was talking to students who had previously worked as Tisch Summer Fellows to gauge which organization would be the best fit and what each program could offer. Don't be shy to reach out to people-- the Tufts network of alum and students is really JUMBO-sized!
Working on the Hill
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| "He signed you, Bill! Now you're a law!" #goals (source) |
Just like our old friend Bill who's sitting here on Capitol Hill, Tisch Fellow Keren has spent a fair amount of time working on the Hill as well. She attended multiple hearings on the Hill and wrote up testimonies for these hearings as well.
Much like how Bill went on to do some cool things (like become a Law), Keren took on several important responsibilities and tasks.
In Keren's words: "I did everything from writing blogs for them, to going to hearings on the Hill, to writing testimonies for hearings, doing lots of research on different policies, tracking Supreme Court case decisions, they sent me to lots of really interesting meetings with other non-profits, I went to a meeting with the DOJ at the State Department. It was really a lot of research and writing but on really meaningful things."
According to Keren, what allowed her to take on so much responsibility was her stellar work ethic--this goes to show that interns really have to put themselves out there to get the most out of the experience.
In Keren's words: "I showed that I wanted to be there and work hard and was willing to learn and that was the reason [why] I was pushed and given projects that were a little harder and got taught about all these research things."
Words of Advice
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| (source) |
It's normal to feel overwhelmed by the large number of internship opportunities available through the Tisch College Summer Fellows Program, but Keren believes that this variety is good! It gives you a wide range of experiences to choose from--beyond just the "name brand" internship...
In Keren's words: "Apply to things that interest you but also challenge you. And also, look beyond the name. So look at the position, look at the description, ask people who have been there before about the supervisor ... I think what really made my internship great was the organization and the supervisor. They really pushed me and made the summer really great."
So for those of you who are saying it's impossible to find a good internship, take a good look at the resources around you: the Career Center, Tisch Summer Fellows, and departments' specialized internship lists.
In Keren's words: "It wasn't that hard finding opportunities ... It's about figuring out what opportunity is best for you."
So good luck and happy searching!
Thanks for reading!
Nina Joung
Class of 2018
