I arrived in Washington DC 2 weeks, but I’m already in love with the city. There’s so much excitement and it seems like everyone I meet has a really cool job!
I’m working three days per week at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the Department of Outreach and Communication. On my first day I sat in on a company's proposal to redisign the Center's website. They have really cool speakers and events everyday and I've been to:
-"Preventing and Rebuilding Failed States Amid Global Economic Crisis: What are realistic options for U.S. Policy?"
-"Renewing the Partnership between the U.S. and Mexico: Shared Responsibility and Shared Strategies"
-"Hijacked Justice: Dealing with the Past in the Balkans"
One of my jobs is to go to these events then write an event summary to post on the website. I'm still getting the hang of it. I also got to go with our director to the Woodrow Wilson House (Wilson's house after the presidency, now a museum) to pick out one of his top hats and a jacket to display at the Wilson Center :-)
The other two days per week I'm doing pubilc affairs in the Disaster Operations Center of the American Red Cross. During a disaster, public affairs of the DOC is reponsible for responding to national media inquiries and coaching local chapters on how to respond to local media. The first few days I helped to edit a new volunteer disaster handbook. Now I'm working to update a list of communications directors at each local chapter so we can send out a survey to determine each chapter's communication capabilites. Both jobs arepretty neat and everyone is really nice and helpful :-)
I’m living in a hostel in northern DC and I’m meeting a lot of other cool students who are here
for summer internships. The hostel is a large 3-story townhouse with a common TV room and kitchen downstairs with bedrooms upstairs. Each bedroom has 4 bunkbeds with 8 total people, so it's kind of crowded trying get ready in the morning, but other than that it's fine. There's a basketball court and park across the street so it's fun to get some exercise there.
Other news:
-I went to a benefit dinner at the State Department on Tuesday night that was really cool. Check out the picture: it was super fancy and there were even some celebrities there. Former American Idol contestant, David Archelleta, performed "Imagine" and "Prayer of the Children;" he was really good.
-Earlier this week I heard General Petraeus, head of US Central Command, give a speech about our progress in Iraq, Arganistan, and Pakistan...pretty neat.
I've been pretty busy, so I'm planning on relaxing tomorrow. Until next time...See ya!
