Despite its wealth, the Washington DC metro region (DMV) faces a number of chronic and recurring social challenges, including:
Residential and occupational segregation by race, ethnicity and class that contribute to sharp inequalities in neighborhood resources and life outcomes.
Higher rates of school disengagement, dropout, crime and violence among youth in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Unemployment and unstable employment, especially among less educated residents.
Insufficient civic engagement and collaboration across class, race, ethnic and other lines of difference, and corresponding distrust and resentment between differing social groups.
There is no single solution to any of the above challenges, and throwing lots of money at them doesn’t necessarily solve them. Indeed, such sticky problems require sustained, systemic, cross-sector collaboration to mitigate or overcome. However, in metro DC, there is one inexpensive approach that, as far as we observe, has not been tried: building engaging, inclusive learning communities that can help tackle all the above-mentioned issues.
When it comes to learning, there are, of course, many schools and universities, but these are substantially segregated by race, ethnicity and class, thus reinforcing as much if not more than reducing inequalities. There are also all kinds of educational supports provided by nonprofits, businesses and/or governments – mentoring, tutoring, special education, after-school and summer enrichment programs, internships, trainings, etc. – but generally, those who can pay more get better service. There are also professional membership associations of all kinds that provide work-learning and networking opportunities, but entry fees can be prohibitive, and not enough foster inclusive environments that build caring relationships across lines of difference.
About Learning Life and the DMV Democracy Learning Community
Learning Life is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit working to build inclusive learning communities that widen and deepen participation in democracy and diplomacy. Our Democracy Learning Community (DLC) in the Washington DC area is devoted to making democracy more engaging by developing social events, products, services and spaces that entertain as well as nurture learning, networking, collaboration and wider, deeper citizen participation.
In 2019, Learning Life launched the DLC with our Democracy Dinners, which gather DC area activists, scholars, students, professionals, and elected officials who work in varied democracy domains to discuss and build the DLC. The Dinners have allowed Learning Life to build a contact list of 6,000+ metro DC democracy professionals, and we are now engaging that network to take the next steps in the development of the DLC, including a (a) visioning document to help people see what a vibrant regional DLC could look like, (b) a youth and family-friendly DMV Democracy Festival, with theatrical performances, exhibits, game rooms, dialogues, food and more, and (c) a Security Learning Community (SLC).
Why a Security Learning Community?
The SLC is an example of a democracy learning community, in this case focused on security challenges. Why develop a DLC focused on security? Four reasons. First, security is a fundamental concern to everyone. Second, there are many threats to security, from domestic and gun violence to threats of terrorism and nuclear attacks, yet there could be more dialogue and collaboration between those addressing these myriad threats. Third, security is the subject of policy-making in governments at local to global levels, and of more democratic input into that policy-making. Fourth, there is a large security industry in the Washington DC area employing everyone from local police, firemen, mental health workers, and home, commercial and industrial security specialists, to international diplomats, peacebuilders, soldiers and arms threat experts.
In a healthier and safer democratic society, more citizens are engaged in learning and collaboration on security issues. As any local police professional can attest, police work is easier when the public is informed and engaged on local security issues. Likewise, any diplomat can attest that a domestic public more knowledgeable about and involved in international affairs, including security problems, not only makes it easier to recruit qualified diplomats, but to carry out more thoughtful, proactive rather than reactive security diplomacy.
A SLC can help connect the DC area’s diverse students to the plethora of employment opportunities in the security industry. Connecting youth to employment is often not a simple process, especially for youth from disadvantaged families. Many may not be qualified, so an SLC can help bridge the knowledge, skills and connections gaps by creating engaging learning activities in and out-of-school that bring caring professionals from diverse security fields together with interested youth from diverse neighborhoods.
What Could a Security Learning Community Do?
A SLC should help (a) diverse youth network, learn, and advance their careers, (b) nurture more security-informed, caring and connected citizens, (c) bridge our regions’ sharp socio-economic divides, and (d) encourage community and civic volunteerism through engaging activities for youth and adults. To start, Learning Life proposes three activities:
A Youth Citizen Assembly on Security to be held at the DMV Democracy Festival in October 2024, with diverse, motivated high school students from selected, diverse, public, private and charter schools in the DC area. The assembly will first engage selected students online then bring the students together in-person at DemFest to deliberate on how to improve security for DMV youth, with the guidance of dialogue facilitators, security professionals, experts, and local government officials.
Issue dinners, each focused on a targeted security problem, local to global. The dinners would be held in the DC area at the homes or offices of SLC-sponsoring individuals and/or organizations. Each would start with one or more fun activities, whether games or else, to allow the youth and adults to get to know each other as persons. Participants would then eat as they listen to 1-4 speakers on a given security problem, followed by small and large group discussions that ensure youth participation.
Opportunity and experience meetings, in-person or online, that gather security professionals and interested high school and/or college youth to learn about (a) industry trainings, competitions, grants, internships, apprenticeships, jobs and more, (b) younger and more senior professionals’ lessons learned from experience over the course of their careers, in security and more generally, of value to youth for making wiser decisions.
Steps Forward and How to Get Involved
The Youth Citizen Assembly on Security described above is our first priority, with implementation planned in October 2024. The issue dinners, and opportunity and experience meetings would then follow in 2025. Learning Life plans to pilot test each of the three SLC events to assess their viability and popularity, then adjust and test more activities (e.g., mentoring, innovation contests, a newsletter) pending demand and funding.
In preparation, Learning Life staff has since summer 2023 successfully begun recruiting volunteers from the DC area security industry. In the first half of 2024, we will also begin recruiting donors, sponsors and participating high schools, universities and teachers. Sustainable funding for the SLC will likely come from a variety of sources, including government and foundation grants, business sponsorships, individual donations, and SLC membership fees, with scholarships to waive or reduce those fees for eligible youth.
Here are four ways individuals and organizations can help build the SLC:
Work in the DC area in the security field at local, state, national or international levels? Volunteer as a speaker, advisor and/or evaluator for the three planned SLC activities described above. Schedule a meeting with Learning Life founder Paul Lachelier using his Calendly to learn more.
Donate to help fund recruiting, planning and bringing the first SLC activities into being. Learning Life asks donors to give $100, $250, $500, or $1,000, but you can donate here at whatever level at which you feel comfortable. When you donate, type “SLC donation” in the Note box at the donation page. Donations are fully tax-deductible.
Sponsor the SLC. Sponsorship starts at $250 for individuals, and $1,000 for organizations. Details here. As noted above, the SLC is part of the DLC, so the sponsor details page is for the DLC. SLC sponsors who note “SLC Sponsor” in the Note box at the donation page will be publicly recognized as SLC sponsors.
Know individuals and/or organizations who would be interested in supporting the SLC with their time, money, space, or other resources? Please let us know.
This article is part of a series helping to envision what a metro regional democracy learning community could look like. For the full list of articles, please visit Learning Life’s DMV Democracy Learning Community page.
Why localize international relations (IR), and what might that specifically look like? This article succinctly answers these two questions in list form.
Why localize international relations?
1. Foster connection and comprehension: Globalization intertwines, yet distance disconnects. Localizing IR can help individuals connect to and understand a world that intertwines and affects us all, for better and worse.
2. Nurture empathy: Authoritarians often thrive on fear and resentment of immigrants and foreigners. Localizing IR can foster engagement and collaboration with immigrants and foreigners, thus increasing empathy (see contact theory).
3. Get help: More challenges we face are international: unemployment, inflation/deflation, energy, pandemics, climate change, cybercrime, disinformation, terrorism, nuclear security, immigration, refugees, human trafficking, etc. Localizing IR can mobilize more people to address these issues.
4. Prevent war and abuse: The more engaged publics are in IR, the less easy it is for government elites to rush to war, demonize foreigners, abuse immigrants, self-deal/engage in corruption, human rights abuses and other illegalities, etc. On war and democracy, see democratic peace theory.
5. Improve policies: Wider participation makes for policy-making and implementation more accountable to publics, less serving of elite interests.
6. Develop citizens and workers: Localizing IR can have “spillover effects,” nurturing more caring citizens, and knowledgeable, skilled workers, expanding equality of opportunity and human development.
Seven Principles for Localizing IR
1. Make IR a way of life, not just a topic, to adapt the argument American philosopher John Dewey made about democracy. Embed IR in people’s routines, stages, rituals and celebrations.
2. Bring IR to people, don’t expect people to come to IR, to adapt the insight of political sociologist Herbert Gans. Bring IR to where people go: homes, restaurants, markets, parks, churches, etc.
3. Make IR fun using games, puzzles, festivals, markets, parades, simulations, competitions, etc.
4. Meet needs and desires of individuals and organizations: students for internships and jobs, employers to find employees, professionals to network and learn, journalists to get data and analysis, scholars to share research, teachers to find student learning opportunities, etc.
5. Create more positions, be these volunteer, stipended or paid, that give people specific roles and status in IR (e.g., cultural ambassadors, guides, observers, researchers, writers, mentors, speakers, evaluators, etc.).
6. Foster collaborations involving journalists, educators, artists, philanthropists, government, religious and business leaders and staff.
7. Connect discussion to policy-making: Shift from directionless discussion, not connected to policy-making, to directed discussion, connected to policy-making. Federated organizations linking local, state, country, region and world can help.
Nine Local IR Stakeholders
1. Governments, especially city, state and national agencies engaged in IR
2. Professionals and retirees of governments, militaries, businesses, and nonprofits, with foreign affairs knowledge and experience (including local residents currently studying, working, or living abroad).
3. International businesses: finance, trade, airlines, intelligence, media, education, tourism, entertainment, food, etc.
4. International NGOs: peace, security, health, refugee, immigrant, environment, cultural exchange, etc.
5. Education: teachers, professors, students, staff in IR, history, political science, languages, anthropology, cultural/social studies, communications, intl biz, etc.
6. Media: local to int’l news outlets, local TV, radio, magazines, etc interested in culture, business and other topics that connect to IR.
1. Annual IR festival: Engage local business, nonprofits and governments to develop a profitable event – with cultural exhibits and performances, digital and analog IR game rooms, escape rooms, virtual travel and exchanges, contests, issue simulations, dialogues and debates, films, food tastings, etc. – that supports local businesses, and attracts families, youth and tourists.
2. Seasonal IR markets: Spring, summer, fall and/or winter markets featuring local businesses and nonprofits offering IR services, products and jobs: foreign restaurants, language, culture and travel companies, college IR-related programs, IR employers, etc.
3. IR center: A public place, funded via multiple sources, that routinely features local and visiting IR speakers, issue debates and deliberations, exhibits, performances, and inexpensively houses local IR businesses and nonprofits to foster collaboration, and draw residents and tourists alike.
4. Grants: Funded by city, regional/state and/or national govts, to encourage for-profit and nonprofit, financially sustainable IR pilot and regular programs.
5. Other elements: Connect with IR associations (Sister Cities, UNESCO, Int’l Union of Local Authorities, etc.). Local tours of IR businesses, nonprofits, ethnic communities, university depts, historic sites, etc led by local IR ambassadors. Public language and culture trainings. Local radio or TV IR issue debates. Exchanges: Int’l visitors, home swaps, sister cities, virtual dialogues, skill swaps, language exchanges. School extracurriculars: student SDG clubs, internships, volunteering, Model UN. Etc.
Five Initial Steps for Localizing IR
1.Identify and recruit stakeholders: Who wants to take part?
2.Asset map: What IR people, organizations, events, places, etc. already exist locally? Partner with local IR faculty and students to asset map.
3.Develop a strategic plan, setting SMART goals and priority activities that follow some or all the preceding principles. Partner with local int’l biz faculty and students to plan.
4.Set up an online community calendar and/or email list of local IR events.
5.Use the asset map to write a printed and/or online guide to building a local IR infrastructure, including a list of local IR experts, businesses, nonprofits, and others who can help.
Learning Life’s interns do vital work responsible for the energy and growth of our organization. This spring, their work included outreach to thousands of people on Facebook and Linkedin to help grow the Family Diplomacy Initiative (FDI) worldwide, and our Democracy Learning Community(DLC); interviewing applicants worldwide for this year’s FDI training in July-October; updating and expanding our DLC list, including U.S. Congressional staff and metro Washington DC city and county leaders; research and writing to develop our DLC vision and action plan; and more. Learning Life is very grateful for their dedicated work. You can learn a little about each of them below.
Nate Escobar
Year, major, and school: I am a senior at Jackson-Reed High School in Washington, D.C.
Hobbies: For fun, I enjoy going on walks with my dog traveling around the neighborhood. I also like to go to restaurants with my family and make memories with them.
Career aspirations: I would like to help clean our environment and make sure we live on a cleaner Earth by doing things like recycling, using electric cars, solar panels and public transportation, producing less waste, and eating more organic food.
Why Learning Life? I got to intern with Learning Life through a high school program which allows me to gain work experience in government and politics. It’s been nice getting to meet new people from around the world and to learn about their lives and environment through the stories they tell.
Maebelle Faragallah
Year, major and school: I am a senior majoring in international affairs as well as community development at Howard University
Hobbies: I like to read a lot. I have probably read more than six hundred novels. I also like watching TB shows and movies. My favorites are 2000s romantic comedies and romantic series like Bridgerton and Outlander. Any form of storytelling is for me! I also watch World Wresting Entertainment (WWE). My favorite music artist is Taylor Swift.
Career aspirations:I want to work in the international development field. I want to do work that changes the course of people’s lives. International development allows for that. I don’t have a clear view of exactly what I want, but the internships I’m doing right now both involve training leaders in order to impact their community. I find this work very engaging and impactful, and wish to continue work in that in the future.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life is a relatively small organization but it’s a great example of doing instead of just talking. Too often we have nonprofits doing a lot of research and spreading liberal ideas, but not implementation of that research or those ideas. Learning Life is implementing those ideas and sets a working model for other non-profits to follow. I am really inspired by Learning Life because it offers a great example of following your dreams, working hard, and being successful.
Ma’Shayla Hearns
Year, major, and school: I am a junior at Virginia Tech double majoring in sociology and criminology with a minor in peace studies and social justice.
Hobbies: I love arts and crafts whether that be drawing, painting, or crocheting. I also enjoy taking long peaceful walks especially on the many trails around the Blacksburg area in Virginia.
Career Aspirations: After completing my undergraduate studies, I would like to have a career working for one of the agencies of the federal government, ideally the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), or as a federal advocate for marginalized groups.
Why Learning Life? I joined Learning Life because I like how it targets the family as the place where democracy and diplomacy can be formed. The Family Diplomacy Initiative allows for individuals within their families to be empowered to stand up for what they believe in and gain the tools they need to do so. I also enjoy the connections and collaborations that are made in an effort to spread democracy worldwide.
Côme Joly
Year, major and school: I am a junior at Sciences Po in Paris, France. My majors are Economics and Sociology, and my minor is Ibero-Caribbean-Latin-American Studies.
Hobbies: I played volleyball for ten years and it is still my favorite activity. I also like to play basketball and to workout. I love to cook and read non-fiction books, especially about economics. However, what I could consider as my main hobby is my environmental activism, including organizing conferences and protests, and writing via social media.
Career aspirations: At this moment, I am not entirely sure what exactly I want to do. I certainly want to work in the environmental and energy sector at an international scale. I am also very interested in the public sector, civic engagement, and democracy.
Why Learning Life? I chose to intern at Learning Life because of its focus on both democracy and international affairs. I like working on expanding democracy. The way Learning Life is doing it is very interesting to me and I wanted to see how the Democracy Learning Community is developing. Working on Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Initiative was also an occasion to meet people from other countries and cultures, to hear their problems and try to help them. Learning Life’s international education approach through citizen diplomacy piqued my curiosity.
Keilyhan Echeverria Padilla
Year, major, and school: I am a senior at Roosevelt High School in Washington DC, specializing in Global Service and Diplomacy.
Hobbies: Since I was at least five years old, I have practiced the arts of dance and song, and these are my two major hobbies. Furthermore, When I was 11 years old, I really wanted to be a fashion designer and open my own boutique. In sixth grade at Rosa Costa Valdivieso in Puerto Rico, I figured out that the school had a sewing teacher, so I showed her my designs and she taught me that I should draw an actual person and the clothing I imagined bigger so the details can be seen. At first, my designs were not symmetric, but with time, everything got better. I no longer want to be a fashion designer, but to this day, I continue drawing, including a tree design I imprinted on my school bag. This year, one of my projects for my AP Spanish class was to create a poem with four stanzas and five verses in each. In this project, I had to memorize and recite the poem. After that experience, I started writing poems as a hobby.
Career aspirations: I am very passionate about International Relations so one of my career aspirations is to be a diplomat for the United States. The reason is that I have seen a lot of division in the world. I believe that there are a lot of different points of views, cultures, languages, technologies and good habits that can be drawn upon to avoid wars and misunderstandings among countries, and to develop countries.
Why Learning Life? To be honest, my school internship placement office selected me to intern with Learning Life. I did not select Learning Life. However, I do not regret any time I spent in this non-profit organization. The community and professional growth I experienced in this non-profit organization is just amazing. Being part of the family diplomacy training and being able to interview training applications in Latin American countries has been exciting and enriching. I am very thankful to have launched my career in international relations with very kind people and families I found through Learning Life.
Clare Rigney
Year, major, and school: I am a senior in the Dual-BA Program between Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University. At Trinity, my major is Middle Eastern & European Languages & Cultures, while at Columbia my major is Political Science.
Hobbies: I love to read, swim, and travel. I have always loved reading, and I was always the kid in class with a book open under my desk growing up. I swam competitively throughout my childhood and high school, and while I no longer swim on a team, it is still my favorite form of exercise and self-care. My family really ignited my love of travel. My parents were big believers in that travel was the best teacher, so I had been to almost thirty U.S. states and territories, and ten countries by the time I graduated high school. I then spent my first two years of college in Ireland, which did nothing to lessen my love of travel. When I’m not doing one of those three things — reading, swimming, and traveling — I’m probably drinking bubble tea and being overly competitive over card games with my friends.
Career aspirations: I’m not exactly positive about what I want to be when I grow up (though it is getting quite close!), but I know that I want to continue working in the international sector, if at all possible, in at least some way. My dream job would probably combine my passions for sustainability and diplomacy, but that would be far down the line. For now, I would be happy with any job that allows me to travel and help people in some way.
Why Learning Life? I chose Learning Life because I think citizen diplomacy is one of the most important ways that we can create a closer, more united global society that is less likely to go to war. Getting to know people from other cultures, and hearing about various issues that affect them builds a more compassionate and connected world, which I am passionate about. I feel like too often people feel like those living in different countries are strange, or alien to them. Things like the Family Diplomacy Initiative show us that we have far more in common than differences.
Dorothy Simon
Year, major, and school:I am a graduating senior at Howard University majoring in criminology and international affairs with a minor in French.
Hobbies:My hobbies include hiking, playing tennis, and writing. I recently had the opportunity to spend my Spring Break in Costa Rica, where I was able to hike or go on a nature walk every day for a week. I also enjoy traveling because I love meeting new people and exploring different cultures.
Career Aspirations:My research focuses on international development and human rights in Latin America and the Caribbean. After my undergraduate studies, I plan on taking a gap year and then pursuing my Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Laws (L.L.M.) degrees in international law with a focus on human rights in a dual-degree program. I also aspire to obtain my Ph.D. in the future, either in the field of international relations or education.
Why Learning Life?I discovered Learning Life after taking a course about diplomacy during the Fall 2022 semester. In that course, I was able to learn more about the history of diplomacy and its application in both American and Israeli governmental systems. I decided to intern with Learning Life because it takes a unique approach to diplomacy through its focus on families on a global scale. Learning Life also taps into my interest in learning more about numerous cultures by connecting and speaking with people around the world.
Matt Turanchik
Year, major, and school: I am a junior at Columbia University majoring in psychology. Though I don’t have a declared minor, I take Slavic cultural/language classes as often as possible!
Hobbies: I am passionate about baking, cooking, writing, theater, and music. Each of these hobbies focuses on a different aspect of cultural exploration. By writing, I force myself to think about the context of who and what I see in my everyday life. Baking and cooking help me explore food culture and with learning new cuisines comes the historical context of why something is made or why specific spices are used. Music also lets me explore cultures through the various sounds and rhythms found across the globe. I am slowly building a stringed-instrument collection to be able to see the sounds I love to hear!
Career aspirations: I have always been interested in why people think and behave in the ways that they do. This was instilled in me from my early days in theater. While my path is still being paved, I have taken a serious interest in political psychology, especially political cultures in post-soviet states. Through political psychology, I want to explore the public context in which governments evolve as our world becomes increasingly interconnected.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life’s work tackles precisely what I care most about: perspective. Learning about people, where they come from, how they live and think is what fascinates me. The learning communities Learning Life is building help keep me in touch with the world around me. As Learning Life ambitiously tackles diplomacy and democracy both domestically and abroad, I feel motivated to help give people a voice in their own communities and to advocate for their rights and their needs.
Spotlight: Fall 2022 Learning Life Interns
Learning Life’s interns do vital work responsible for the energy and growth of our organization. This fall, their work included outreach to thousands of people on Facebook and Linkedin to help grow the Family Diplomacy Initiative (FDI) worldwide, and our Democracy Learning Community; management, video production and impact evaluation for our first annual training of family diplomats; fundraising research and outreach; plus poster design and social media communications. Learning Life is very grateful for their dedicated work. You can learn a little about each of them below.
Janice Dias
Year, major, and school: I graduated from the University of the District of Columbia with a Bachelor’s in Political Science in August 2021.
Hobbies: In 2021, I started running, and I fell in love with it. I run at least three times a week. One of my goals is to run a marathon. I love to travel, especially exploring the USA, because I am not originally from here, and it is always nice to visit places I’ve only seen on TV growing up. I also love reading fiction books. One of my favorite authors is Jenny Han. Her stories are always captivating.
Career aspirations: I am multi-passionate. I want to do almost everything in my lifetime, but there are two things I know for sure I will do. First, I want to have a non-profit one day focusing on education. My target audience will be low-income individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Second, I want to have a successful business in the beauty and fitness industry. I am a certified body sculpting technician, and a Permanent MakeUp (PMU) Artist. I plan on expanding my business to offer courses about my services.
Why Learning Life? I chose Learning Life because it focuses on democracy, diplomacy, and education on national and international levels. Before I joined, I read about Learning Life’s projects, like the Family Diplomacy Initiative. It caught my attention because it brings people worldwide together to share their cultures, some of their personal stories, and the hardships their countries are facing. The media overlooks some of these issues, but when you have someone in the Learning Life family diplomacy community facing it, and divulging it to you, it motivates you more to advocate for and support them, even if they are thousands of miles from you. These are circumstances that make us citizen diplomats without our noticing.
Yasmina El Argoubi
Year, major, and school: I am a School of Foreign Service student majoring in international economics with a minor in government and philosophy at Georgetown University in Qatar.
Hobbies: I love meeting new people from different cultures, playing board games, and going for long walks by the beach or in a forest. I also enjoy drawing and painting.
Career aspirations: I aspire to work for the cause of women and underprivileged minorities on an international scale. I plan to explore a variety of fields with the main cause to help and support people. I have been looking into financial education as a form of activism as well and I hope to grow more in that field.
Why Learning Life? I chose Learning Life because of its programs. Bringing together an international community and recruiting family diplomats is such a unique approach for advocacy. I loved the online learning opportunity which transcends physical limits to reach a broader population, and hence, to have a broader impact.
Allison Hechmer
Year, major, and school: Senior/ C/O 2023, International Relations and Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies, Boston University
Hobbies: When I’m not in school, you can usually find me traveling! I love venturing abroad and having the opportunity to explore different cultures, try new foods, and meet new people. I just spent my summer studying abroad in London and even got to visit Scotland, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland while in Europe. During the school year though, I enjoy spending time with friends in Boston and trying out new restaurants around the city.
Career aspirations: At this moment in time, I am not entirely sure what I want to do professionally. I have a strong passion for humanitarian work though, and I hope to pursue some sort of career helping vulnerable populations abroad. I am also very interested in migrant and refugee patterns and plan to devote part of my career to championing migrant rights.
Why Learning Life? I discovered Learning Life through a peer of mine. As a student studying international relations, I understand the power of diplomacy. When people can effectively communicate with one another and lobby for their needs, they can create meaningful change. Unfortunately, globally, many people do not have the capacity to speak up for themselves and their families. Learning Life helps address this issue and is working to ensure people around the world have a voice in global and domestic affairs. I am excited to be a part of Learning Life’s work in training and empowering family diplomats!
Chanel Leonard
Year, major, and school: I am a second year Masters of Public Administration and International Education Management candidate at Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
Hobbies: I enjoy watching psychological thriller movies. Outdoors wise, I love roller skating and hiking trails in Northern California. I love to hang out with my family and friends and find new Thai and Italian restaurants.
Career aspirations: I am interested in education policy. I hope to begin working as a program analyst or program manager for an education development organization. My goal is to design and implement equitable opportunities for minorities and disadvantaged communities through education policy.
Why Learning Life? I chose Learning Life because of my interest in education and providing resources and opportunities to marginalized communities. I found empowering their goal to provide a platform to individuals and families who had previously not realized the power of sharing their experiences. Through this internship, I was also granted the opportunity to learn about how family storytelling and citizen diplomacy can be linked.
Sarah McInnis
Year, major, and school: I am a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying Psychology, Spanish for the Professions, and Speech and Hearing Sciences.
Hobbies:I enjoy spending time with friends and family, playing tennis, trying out new workout classes, live music, traveling, going to the farmer’s market, and cooking!
Career aspirations: I am looking to work in a career in which I can make a difference in someone’s life. As of right now, I feel pulled in multiple directions as to what this could look like (i.e., lawyer, speech pathologist). Whatever my career will look like, I hope to utilize my Spanish language skills.
Why Learning Life? In the spring of 2022, I had the opportunity to live with a host family and study at the University of Deusto for a semester in Bilbao, Spain. During this time, I was able to travel throughout Europe, experience different cultures, and see what people’s lives look like outside of the U.S. It was extremely eye-opening and inspired me to look into an organization that fosters positive growth throughout the world. I began looking for internships in the realm of international affairs and stumbled upon Learning Life. I was instantly drawn to this nonprofit because I knew that by being a part of Learning Life, I would be making a difference in people’s lives across the world. It has been very inspiring to be a part of this team, and I have benefitted from being an intern immensely.
Anya Neumeister
Year, major, and school: I am a junior at Davidson College majoring in Political Science and Hispanic Studies on the Pre-Law track.
Hobbies: I absolutely love puzzles of any kind – jigsaw, logic, wooden, and Sudoku. My house has a designated puzzle table, so there is almost always something to work on. I am also an avid coffee drinker and enjoy finding new coffee shops to try.
Career aspirations: After completing my undergraduate education, I hope to go directly to law school. I am not exactly sure what type of law I want to study, but I imagine it will be either Constitutional, immigration, or civil rights law.
Why Learning Life? I was immediately drawn to Learning Life’s goal of working toward building a more caring world through the efforts of families. I love the idea that ordinary people can serve as diplomats and be the force working toward peace. I was also excited about the international online platform that allows people across the world to be exposed to a wide array of issues.
Edward Taylor
Year, major, and school: I am a graduating senior at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. I am majoring in political science, with a minor in history.
Hobbies: In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, watching movies, weight lifting, dancing, and video editing. I am also passionate about helping my community. Every other Sunday I help run a video fighting game tournament in McClean, Virginia, a portion of fees from which benefit local charities.
Career aspirations: I want to work in the field of public policy by either helping draft key legislation that can improve the lives of Americans, or working as a political consultant for a private company. One day I would like to write novels for a living, and maybe even help write stories for movies and video games.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life was an opportunity recommended to me by a political science professor at my university. After further research into the organization it seemed similar to much of the volunteer work I’ve done previously. I am passionate about finding ways to improve the lives of people not just locally but abroad as well, and I believe my mission and Learning life’s mission are identical in that regard.
