APF Blog: Lessons of a DC Intern

Aena Khan is a sophomore at Vassar College. She is majoring in International Studies and her policy interests focus on refugee movements and U.S. Foreign Policy. 

For someone who’d always wanted to study international affairs, it was a dream come true when I landed an internship in Washington, DC. After all, it’s where all of the policy action happens. I felt particularly lucky to have been accepted into the Council on Foreign Relations’ (CFR) internship program, given how difficult it is to get placement there.

I’ll be honest – applying for internships comes with challenges. I spent hours pouring over cover letter drafts, fine-tuning my freshman resume, and preparing for interview after interview. 

Once I landed the CFR gig, I felt like all the hard work had finally paid off. But, soon enough, the less glamorous aspects of independent living dawned on me. I would need to find housing and funding for living expenses. The weather in D.C. was swampy. The town’s obsession with “breaking” news could be overwhelming. Yet, I was determined to make it work. 

I secured funding from the career development office at my college. I found housing in the spare room of a friend’s home. I even got at a side-job at Dolcezza, a Gelateria in the upscale multi-use commercial space known as City Center. 

I also gained some important insights just by virtue of living and working in DC, some I wish I’d known beforehand. Others will come in handy in the future. 

Here’s 5 things I learned as a DC intern. 

1. Even the ordinary is extraordinary.

Going to the office each day seemed ordinary enough: I sat at my desk, did research, and attended the occasional meeting. But it was so much more than the ordinary. 

I was lucky enough to have a chance to do research for a project that was extremely intellectually fulfilling. I worked on the Independent Task Force Report on U.S. Innovation and National Security, which was authored by Ira A. Lipman Senior Fellow Adam Segal. 

What made working on the report such a formative experience was the exposure I had to national security, a term I’d often heard but knew little about, and the importance of federal government research and development to maintaining U.S. competitiveness in the national security arena.

I also had the opportunity to do things I had always dreamed of doing: attending Congressional hearings; participating in events with Senators and Representatives of Congress; and even sending copies of our CFR report to every presidential candidate.

In Washington, D.C., it’s clear that even the ordinary is extraordinary. 

2. Everyone knows everyone.

Working on international relations comes with worldly implications. But even then, it happens in what is a relatively small world. Everyone knows everyone in DC. (See Stephen Miller nota above). Everyone also has an opinion and very rarely do two people have the same views on an issue. Thus, I realized the importance of considering different viewpoints in a decidedly opinionated place that also has a small-town vibe. 

Also, don’t bad mouth anyone. Though I didn’t feel inclined to test this myself, whomever it is will most likely find out. 

3. Find your people.

After the end of each day, I took time to attend events I was interested at other think-tanks and to earn money. Living on my own in a new city and outside a collegiate bubble taught me about self-reliance. I met the most interesting people, from government officials and Hill staffers to fellow interns. Everyone had a variety of interests within International Affairs. And with so many young professionals who offered support and were going through the same experiences I was – I truly felt like I belonged.

4. Find your opposites. 

Even though I had found my tribe and connected with people I related closely with, I still managed to meet unique people of diverse backgrounds. Be open to the idea that people who may not look like you can be your greatest advocates. My host parents, for example, come from very different places than I do and worked in different places than anyone I’d ever known before. They were amazing mentors and even took the time to introduce me to people in their offices who they thought I’d find interesting. 

5. Don’t expect certainty. 

When I started at CFR this summer, I had a multitude of ideas about what I wanted to do with my life. I considered journalism, law, public service, and refugee advocacy, among other things. Upon my departure, I wasn’t any more certain. I didn’t find a crystal ball to demystify the blurry path that lay ahead. 

Instead, with the opportunities my DC internship afforded, I became more confident in myself, in my ideas, and how to engage those who were different than me. Ironically, in a town marked by partisanship, I learned the importance of the conviction of one’s believes. Plus, networking never hurts!

I do not know yet what my next step will be, but I do know this: any experience is a learning experience and hard work is rewarded. I’m excited to see what will come next, even though I am not yet certain what it entails.

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