I start my mornings at 7am when I board the Vienna Metro. 30 minutes later I have reached my stop, Foggy Bottom, and I get off the train and start my walk to work. Three blocks from the metro is my building, SA-1, also known as State Annex 1. It is across the street from the Main State building and houses the HR department as well as other smaller bureaus. I use my government ID to get past security, walk to the State Magazine office, then scan my ID once more. Once in the office, I say hi to the three magazine staff members, Amanda, Luis, and Isaac. Having such a small office is a blessing because I have the opportunity to work one on one with each of the staff members to learn about how they contribute to the publication. I am also the only intern here, so I can really learn so much more because I don’t have to share my intern duties with anyone else. In a typical day, I update the State Magazine Instagram and Twitter accounts, do a lot of archiving, as well as some research and editing. I also get to sit in on meetings with other bureaus as well as get to participate in and view some photo shoots for the magazine. Although I am not permitted to share our projects that we are working on until they are published, I can tell you that we have a brand new website coming out for the July/August issue that is very new and exciting! 

I am a senior at CNU, graduating this upcoming December, with a major in Marketing. I am from Vienna, Virginia, which means that I don’t even need to change metro lines to get to work! Several family members of mine are federal employees, so I thought I too should give it a shot! I had an interview with the Workforce Recruitment Program coordinator this past fall, who put my information into a database, which government agencies can then search to find employees. During Spring Break the Editor from State Magazine asked if I was interested in this internship, and here I am! In order to start this internship, I did have to get a High Risk Public Trust clearance, which essentially gives me access to the Department of State buildings. This process took months and involved myself, my friends, and past employers to be interviewed about me by a federal agent. Although it was a long process, I know that it was worth it! I cannot wait to continue to share what I learn and what projects I have the opportunity to work on in the weeks to come! Stay tuned!

Office Automation Clerk, State Magazine, Department of State