Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Summer Internship Experience


By Intern Tierney Beck:

This summer I have spent a great deal of time on writing a series of articles in collaboration with my supervisor, Donald Cassell. These articles express the connection between Liberia and Indiana. Before coming to Sagamore I had no idea that various communities in Indiana were so involved in aiding Liberia, including my very own Indiana University. I enjoyed learning and sharing what I learned with others by publishing those articles on the Sagamore website. It has allowed me to improve both my writing skills and my knowledge of development in Liberia.

My favorite part of the internship was meeting Ambassador Bull, the U.S. Ambassador to Liberia. This event allowed me to see that the work I was doing was being heard by someone and appreciated. The lunch and learn seminars were all great learning experiences for me as well. Who would have thought I would ever sit in Jim Morris’ suite at Conseco Fieldhouse? Each speaker we met at the lunch and learn seminars provided me with insight. David Helmer provided a great method for achieving success and completing your goals. His example of turning something so simple into a thriving business was inspiring.

I will walk away from this internship with a greater understanding of just how a think tank works. I was skeptical at how much influence an institution such as Sagamore has on policy. But now I can see that without Sagamore many plans and ideas may not jump off the rug. Sagamore has created awareness and is working to make changes by following through with ideas. Those ideas are made tangible and I enjoyed watching changes being made right in front of my eyes. Sagamore provided me with a great opportunity this summer, and I am so grateful. 

No comments:

Post a Comment