Intern Spotlight: Arianna Bartlett

This is the third of three spotlights on our spring semester 2016 student interns.  Learning Life’s interns this spring are focused mostly on building our new Citizen Diplomacy Initiative, which will connect American families in Washington D.C. with families in other parts of the world through live online video-dialogue.  Arianna and our other interns are conducting research and making contacts locally and abroad to grow the Initiative.  We are thankful for their work.  

Where were you born and raised?

I am from Tucson, Arizona.

What school do you attend, and what is your year and major there?

I am a sophomore in the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University.  I am majoring in Latin American & Hemispheric Studies and Spanish with a minor in Women’s Studies.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, my friends and I like to make breakfast food at all times of the day. In addition, I play lots of sand volleyball when the weather is nice out.

What is the most beautiful place you have seen on Earth, and why is it so beautiful?

About 4 years ago, I spent a couple weeks in British Columbia for a family vacation. During that time, we stayed in a cabin in the Banff National Park where I saw the most beautiful lakes and mountains. They were so pristine and untouched that they just seemed like another world compared to here.

Is there a particular life experience you have had that has shaped you as a person?  If so, what was it, and how has it shaped who you are?

The summer before my senior year of high school, I went to a Global Youth Leadership Conference in Berlin, Vienna, and Prague. This shaped my experience because I started learning about other cultures and how to interact with different types of people.  I made a couple good friends from Israel and Lebanon, which were both nations that I had little to no practical knowledge about.  It helped me to realize that I want to work internationally and spend time traveling and learning.

Why did you choose to intern with Learning Life?

I thought Learning Life presented a great opportunity to work with a blossoming initiative (the Citizen Diplomacy Initiative) with potential to help so many people.  I wanted to be able to spend my time helping people learn and improve their life situations, especially in developing countries. 

What are your career plans?

I want to work with NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) in Latin America that are focused on human rights, specifically women’s rights, so that I can help improve their situations.