After completing their first year at SFS, Global Human Development (GHD) graduate students disperse around the world for internships at development focused organizations. These experiences give students the opportunity to put their academic learning into practice and develop skills that will help them secure jobs after graduation.
This summer, GHD students interned across sectors and regions in local NGOs, USAID missions, U.S. embassies and multilateral organizations like the World Bank and U.N. agencies. Meet a few of the students who deepened their knowledge in a range of settings.
Getting Out to the Field
Evan Anthony (GHD’25) came to SFS with an interest in displacement and development and prior work experience with the American Red Cross and disaster response nonprofit SBP. When looking for a summer internship, he focused on gaining practical experience with an organization doing response work in the field. Through the program’s relationship with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Anthony was able to secure a shelter and non-food items internship in IOM’s Burundi office.
“Since I was a college student, I had aspired to work for the U.N.,” he says. “I remember how out-of-reach it seemed back then….As soon as I saw [the internship], I knew it was the perfect fit!”
The internship gave Anthony a new understanding of how the international response system works in a low-income context: “It was fascinating, from an academic perspective, to play a role in cash-based interventions for post-disaster recovery while participating in the international response system as an intern with a U.N. agency. I was able to apply much of what I had learned in theory to our work in the field during needs assessments, focus group discussions and project implementation.”
He met his goal of gaining experience in the field, spending nearly five weeks in Rumonge and Makamba Provinces, which also helped him develop meaningful relationships with his Burundian and international colleagues and improve his French proficiency.
Anthony encourages other students looking for summer internships to investigate the expected ratio of time behind a computer versus in the field before accepting the job: “Field work exposes you to ‘how things actually work’, the subtle but hugely important nuances in project implementation and a sense of what the context really is for beneficiaries.”
Seek Adventure with an Open Mind
Sheyann “Shey” Barnett (GHD’25) set out to “seek adventure” with her summer internship. A 2023 Charles B. Rangel Fellow and proud first-generation Jamaican-American from the South Bronx who is deeply passionate about human rights and the intersection of global health, education and displacement crises, Barnett landed at Embassy Lusaka in Zambia as a fellow in the political-economic section.
Barnett felt prepared by her coursework with a strong foundation in the factors that drive development outcomes, but the summer experience gave her a chance to witness the human impact.
“Seeing the daily struggles caused by the devastating drought and prolonged power outages underscored for me the vital importance of building resilient systems to enhance quality of life,” she says. “This grounded my understanding that true progress in human development requires centering the voices and experiences of marginalized populations and using diplomacy to reach mutually beneficial goals in health, wealth and security. It reaffirmed my commitment to being a diplomat who empathetically listens and collaborates, advocating on behalf of my country.”
Barnett emphasizes the importance of an open mind for students seeking transformative international summer internships: “Be fearless in your curiosity. Ask probing questions, build genuine connections, and seek out experiences that allow you to grapple with the human realities behind policy papers and talking points. An international internship is a rare chance to gain a nuanced, embodied understanding of global issues and the privileges we carry.”
Think Strategically About Goals
Ksenia Dubova (GHD’25) came to SFS as a Gracias Scholar from Ukraine where she grew up in the currently war-torn Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. She spent time working and studying in Croatia, Indonesia and Israel before returning to graduate school. When looking for a summer internship, Dubova focused on exploring a new region and sector.“I wanted to experience development work firsthand in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region I had not worked in before but which is central to global development,” she says. “I also sought an opportunity focused on climate change and sustainability.”
Dubova spent the summer in Nairobi, Kenya, at Bopinc Kenya. She worked on the Power-Up project, an IKEA Foundation-supported initiative that addresses the e-waste crisis in Kenya. She was particularly interested in the project due to its focus on women and persons with disabilities, which aligned with her values and commitment to inclusive development.
“This work provided practical experience in assessing project impacts, incorporating a gender-inclusive approach and emphasizing the empowerment of marginalized groups such as women and persons with disabilities,” she says.
Dubova was able to apply her knowledge from her coursework in development, monitoring, and evaluation while also seeing the impact of her work: “Seeing positive change happen in front of my eyes and being directly involved in practical, community-focused initiatives made the experience truly rewarding.”
Dubova encourages students to think strategically about their goals and what they hope to gain from the experience while seeking a summer internship: “Identify a geographical region and then focus on a thematic area of interest. Network actively, ask questions, stay open-minded and be prepared to adapt to different cultural contexts.”
Challenge Yourself, Make Mistakes and Learn
Josh Elias (GHD’25), a 2023 Rangel Fellow, has a self-designed specialization in governance and development at GHD, so he was drawn to his internship at the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan because of the country’s unique context.
“I was curious how the U.S. engages in a country known as one of the most closed societies in the world and with neighbors such as Iran and Afghanistan,“ he says.
Elias was interested in working in a smaller embassy at which he could assume more responsibility and get to know everyone. The political-economic section at U.S. Embassy Ashgabat was his top choice.
Elias utilized the skills he gained during his first year in the GHD program and directly applied learning from course material in his internship responsibilities. He was also able to bring his experience to bear in his current courses: “I now have a deeper understanding of what development looks like in a challenging and closed environment.”
A highlight of the internship for Elias was being entrusted with developing the briefing book for the incoming U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Rood. He worked with all the embassy sections to compile the book and he found it to be a great learning experience.
“Knowing that my colleagues trusted me with this task was an honor and I finished it with a stronger understanding of how the U.S. conducts diplomacy abroad,” he says.
He encourages other students to not play it too safe when picking an internship: “Choose an opportunity that will challenge you. Graduate school is your chance to get out of your comfort zone, make mistakes, and learn. I chose Turkmenistan because I knew it would be uncomfortable.”
Foster Compassion and Empathy to Better Make an Impact
Valeria Torres Ruiz (GHD’25) spent the summer in Bangkok, Thailand, at IOM’s regional office. At GHD, she is pursuing a certificate in refugees, migration and humanitarian emergencies through the Institute for the Study of International Migration.
“It was an incredible experience, as the Bangkok office is a regional hub, which means I got to work on issues affecting multiple countries,” Torres says. “I learned a lot about the specific challenges each country in the region faces.”
Within her focus on migration, Torres has a deep interest in figuring out how to make migration safe and manageable: “Working at IOM gave me valuable insight into how the international community is working to address this challenge, which is essential to my studies and helps address the broader development issues involved in supporting safe and sustainable migration pathways.”
Experiencing the shared purpose at IOM was the most meaningful part of Torres’ summer.
“Each population and region faces different challenges, yet the ultimate goal for everyone working in this field is to improve human conditions,” she says. “It was inspiring to see how each unit focused on different causes but shared a common purpose.”
Torres encourages students to foster compassion as part of making an impact: “The human connections and insights you gain through an international internship not only enhance your understanding but also build empathy and provide valuable tools to continue working in this field.”