Learning Life’s interns do vital work responsible for the vibrance and growth of our programs. This fall, their work included outreach to thousands of people worldwide on Facebook and Linkedin to help grow our Family Diplomacy Initiative (FDI) membership, screening of young Family Diplomacy Ambassador applicants, research on citizen diplomacy, fundraising research and outreach, building the invitation list for our Democracy Dinners, developing our website and video communications, and more. Learning Life is very grateful for their dedicated work. You can learn a little about each of them below.
AMAL BURBAR
Year, Major and school: I recently completed a Master’s Degree in International and European Law specializing in Diplomacy & Strategic negotiation from Paris de Sud Saclay University in Paris. I finished my other Master’s Degree in International & European Law in Toulouse Capitole 1 University in France, and my “Licence” degree in Law and Political Science from the same university. I also completed a Bachelor’s Degree in French Literature at Birzeit University in Palestine.
Hobbies: I enjoy traveling around the world to learn about cultures, and spend quality time with people from different backgrounds.
Career aspirations: I would like to work in humanitarian International NGOs, particularly with organizations that help refugees around the world. As they are human beings, I believe that they have the right to live wherever they go with dignity. As a speaker of Arabic, English and French, I am able to work in many different countries around the world.
Why Learning Life? Due to COVID-19 restrictions on travels, I liked the idea of “traveling” virtually around the world by connecting with new people of different backgrounds and experiences via Learning Life’s live international dialogues. The dialogues helped me learn new things from different people across the globe. What’s more, I learned more about how people of other countries face their political, economic, social issues, and how they are willing to find solutions in order to live in better situations.
GUSTAVO CARVAJAL VILLALOBOS
Year, major, and school: I am a second-year student (Class of 2021) in the Master’s of Public Policy Program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Hobbies: I like hiking, listening to music, jogging, dancing, video games and having nice conversations with friends and family. Coming from Costa Rica, I deeply enjoy spending time in nature, sharing a nice warm cup of coffee with my family, and going out with my friends.
Career aspirations: I’m divided between my passion for supporting and shaping youth through local and national institutions, and my passion for improving vulnerable communities’ resilience as they face climate change. Clean water, food production and overall human health have been compromised and become commodities instead of human rights. In the bigger picture, I’m all in for future generations.
Why Learning Life? To share knowledge and ideas, expand my understanding of other cultures and be part of a worldwide network. In my experience, families have been the driving force behind most individuals I have met around the world, either because of the support they provide or abuse they inflict. Addressing social issues from a family perspective seems like a great opportunity, and it has been an enlightening, useful experience.
RACHEL FARZAN
Year, major, and school: I’m a sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth University studying Communications Arts and Computer Science. If all goes to plan, I’ll be graduating in 2025.
Hobbies: My favorite thing to do in my free time is definitely drawing. At other times, though, I like to embroider, watch cartoons, and play video games! I also enjoy spending time with my friends by getting food, hanging out at the library, or going to after-school clubs with them.
Career aspirations: Since I’m majoring in two very different fields, I can see myself pursuing different careers. I would definitely like to pursue something in the arts, possibly making comics, designing characters and environments for animation studios, or creating illustrations for books and magazines. But with the combination of my computer science degree, it would also be interesting to design websites or create video games.
Why Learning Life? I first heard of Learning Life when I got an email from my art advisor about an internship with the nonprofit. I initially joined to simply help create a video for the Family Diplomacy Initiative, but I’ve actually gotten a lot more out of my experience here than I thought I would. Learning about this nonprofit and hearing from people around the world has been very eye-opening. Although I have the opportunity to talk to people around the world by being on any social media platform, Learning Life has provided a specific place for people to discuss really important matters that I’m not usually exposed to within my small online circle. Interning with Learning Life has made me a more educated and open-minded person, so I’m very grateful for this experience.
RUYA GOKHAN
Year, major, and school: I am a senior undergraduate student at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. My major is Political Science, and I minor in Business Administration and International Studies.
Hobbies: I have always been an animal lover. I have been an enthusiastic equestrian since my elementary school years. This is more than a hobby for me because I have been a licensed athlete in the Turkish Equestrian Federation since 2013. Additionally, I enjoy photography, pottery, gardening and modern dance.
Career aspirations: After completing my bachelor’s degree, I am planning to pursue my master’s degree in business or international relations. Then, I hope to get work experience that provides me with a broad set of skills in teamwork, operations, marketing and sales that can help me run a business enterprise, and develop as a professional and person.
Why Learning Life? I believe in high-quality education because education makes a nation either free and prosperous, or miserable and undeveloped. Learning Life’s mission is to spread learning not only for privileged people but also people from lower-income areas, where they have less access to education. It was very impressive for me to be a part of a nonprofit organization that focuses on education and democracy. From my perspective, the only way to practice a good democracy and develop a country is to educate its citizens. Learning Life’s work is in line with my philosophy.
ELEANOR GREENBAUM
Year, major, school: I am a sophomore studying at George Washington University in Washington, DC. I am a double major in Political Science and International Affairs, concentrating in Conflict Resolution and International Environmental Policy.
Hobbies: I love to read, listen to music (especially Taylor Swift) and podcasts, go to the gym, and hang out with my friends. I also love learning about and discussing politics.
Career Aspirations: I would love to go into international peace-building in some aspect. After I graduate, I plan to get a master’s degree and go to law school. I plan on focusing on human rights and international environmental issues, potentially working with the State Department or the United Nations.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life has inspired me to look at diplomacy from a smaller, more family-oriented scale. This has put things into perspective, and shown me what is truly important when considering international political issues. The connections made from this organization are truly irreplaceable.
MICHAEL GRIMALDI
Year, major, and school: I am a Junior at the George Washington University in Washington DC, majoring in International Relations with a concentration in Security Policy and a minor in History.
Hobbies: I really like board games and I like to discuss politics. I also like to go on walks throughout the city to see major landmarks.
Career aspirations: I would like to work for the US State Department or for the Department of Defense as an analyst.
Why Learning Life? I firmly believe that only by collective action can democracy be preserved, so Learning Life’s work to connect families worldwide to discuss how we are all impacted by global issues resonated with me. Through this model, I believe Learning Life has done and will continue to do a lot of good work by providing a medium for discussion for a wide variety of people and families. Aside from my passion for the mission of Learning Life, I also felt that an internship would help me cultivate my skills and make me into a better person.
YUTONG JIANG
Year, major and school: I am a junior at the George Washington University in Washington, DC, majoring in International Relations with a concentration in the Middle East, and minors in Journalism and Hebrew & Arabic Language & Culture.
Hobbies: I enjoy being outdoors, and started rock climbing and sculling (rowing) in summer 2021. I am also a big fan of skiing and running. I ran more than 800 miles for the first time in 2020 and climbed four high peaks. Two goals of mine are to pursue mountaineering and backcountry skiing.
Career aspirations:I am interested in working as a journalist in the Middle East, or a freelance travel videographer and photographer.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Initiative offers a great opportunity for young adults to learn first hand information from other young people around the world. Through this program, I learned about current news in different area of the world, how people with different ethnicities, religions and values share their perspectives, and where their views come from. What’s more, I learned how the program is able to bring diverse people together and foster a sense of global citizenship and community. Learning Life’s values and mission have encouraged me to think more broadly and inclusively about different viewpoints and ideas.
KAYLIE KETELTAS
Year, major, and school:I am a second-year student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst pursuing a dual degree in Spanish and Linguistics with a certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language and a certificate in American English Linguistics.
Hobbies: I enjoy trail running and discovering new places to run and explore. When I’m not spending time with my friends or playing with my cats, you’ll find me watching football.
Career aspirations: I chose to pursue a Spanish major when applying to colleges because it was the school subject that I felt most confident and excited about learning. Upon coming to college, I quickly learned about the many options for fields of study that I could pair with my Spanish major. When I discovered the certificate for Teaching English as a Second Language, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do. Though I’m still working out the details, I’d like to teach English to Spanish speakers, whether it be in the United States or abroad.
Why Learning Life? I joined Learning Life not only to learn more about Family Diplomacy and to share my experiences with families worldwide but also to connect with other Spanish speakers and people who are learning Spanish. During my time with Learning Life, I have communicated with countless Spanish speakers from around the world through my outreach. In return, I have been able to improve my conversational skills in a real-world setting in my journey to become bilingual.
MADDIE MILLER
Year, major, and school: I am a sophomore at George Washington University studying International Affairs. For the Spring 2022 semester, I will be transferring to Georgetown University and majoring in Government.
Hobbies: I love to run and exercise! When I am not busy studying, I like to spend time with friends and watch movies or cook together.
Career aspirations: My post-graduate plans are to either go to law school or to earn my Master’s Degree in Public Policy. My goal is to work for either the U.S. State Department in the Foreign Service or in the United Nations. I want to get involved in policy making, specifically peace negotiations. I am fascinated by different cultures and want to travel the world while helping people through policy!
Why Learning Life? Learning Life stood out to me because of its focus on education beyond school walls. Before I can get involved in organizations such as the State Department or United Nations, I feel I need to understand the foundation of familial ties worldwide. There are many instances in which the needs of families or those impacted by policy do not align with the interests of the policymakers themselves. The family dialogues appealed to me the most because they open the door to hard conversation topics while allowing people with different backgrounds to voice their opinions.
JULIA PAOLA
Year, major and school: I am a senior at the George Washington University in Washington, DC, majoring in International Affairs with concentrations in International Politics and Europe & Eurasia, a second major in Political Science, and a minor in Italian Language & Literature.
Hobbies: In my free time, I love visiting my dogs in Annapolis and walking/fostering dogs here in DC! I’ve recently gotten into gardening and love using homegrown herbs in my cooking. I also enjoy traveling and exploring new places whenever I get the chance.
Career aspirations: I want to work for refugee assistance groups like the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, International Rescue Committee, and the International Maritime Organization to help with reforming immigration policies. Specifically, I would like to work with migrants and refugees in Italy in refugee camps to help them through the asylum process.
Why Learning Life? I decided to intern with Learning Life because I think the idea of connecting families of different cultures across the world is unique and educates people about many global issues. I have always felt that education is central to creating more peaceful and sympathetic societies. Learning Life allows for different views to be expressed and expands members’ range of knowledge. It is great to see the growth of international understanding and appreciation for diversity!
MARIA PEREZ
Year, major and school: I am currently an undergraduate student at the University of California, Irvine studying Social Policy & Public Service with a focus on Education.
Hobbies: I enjoy listening to music, especially live music, as well as making jewelry, embroidering, reading, and drawing.
Career aspirations: I hope to work in the realm of education on solutions that benefit underserved communities. I am especially interested in addressing issues in and leading up to higher education.
Why Learning Life? I have always valued education highly and I appreciate Learning Life’s efforts to extend education past school walls, thus increasing its accessibility. I have also always enjoyed learning about different communities and cultures, and Learning Life’s international scope has allowed me the opportunity to do so.
VITTORIA VAN BLOMMESTEIN
Year, major, and school: I am a third year student in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University in Washington, DC, pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs as well as Peace Studies. In my International Affairs degree I am concentrating on International Politics.
Hobbies: I enjoy playing tennis with my friends, leisure walks, traveling, and reading.
Career aspirations: I aim to continue my education in either graduate school or law school, then I would love to work in international conflict resolution. I’ve come to understand the value and importance of mediation and feel I have a good grasp on exercising this skill. I would greatly enjoy being able to apply political and psychological analysis to broker peaceful exchange between countries.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Initiative really piqued my interests. I have always been a proponent of the spread of education, and being able to reach thousands of people abroad in fostering an environment where there’s an opportunity to learn about topics such as diplomacy and democracy fascinated me. The idea of equipping people with information to dialogue between countries with the aim to influence government is one I believe in strongly myself, so I’m happy to be part of the process.
Intern with Learning Life
Intern with Learning Life
Learning Life engages interns online from across the USA and abroad all year, in spring, summer and fall. New interns typically start in January, May or August, though other starting dates are permissible depending on the student’s academic calendar.
Help Build Democracy and Diplomacy for a more Caring World
About Learning Life
Learning Life is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit lab devoted to innovating education, democracy and diplomacy by spreading learning in everyday life beyond school walls. In our increasingly interconnected yet divided world, we develop inclusive learning communities in order to widen and deepen participation in democracy and diplomacy.
With this mission in mind, we run three programs.
The Family Diplomacy Initiative (FDI) connects people worldwide across lines of country, class, race and religion via the internet to share and learn together about families and citizen diplomacy with an eye to developing a corps of trained family diplomats to advocate for a more caring world.
Our Democracy Learning Community (DLC) is a nascent association of individuals and organizations working together to strengthen democracy by developing engaging events, products, services and spaces that nurture fun, learning, networking, collaboration and wider, deeper citizen participation.
Citizen Diplomacy International gathers diplomacy scholars, students, professionals, and volunteers every three months online via Zoom to share news and presentations on CD research and practice, local to global, with an eye to building a vibrant global CD sector for a more participatory, equitable and sustainable world.
About the Internship
Learning Life accepts resumes from high school, college and graduate students worldwide interested in interning with us remotely. The internship ranges from 8 to 32 hours per week, depending on academic requirements, though most of our interns work about 10 hours/week and do not take their internship for course credit. The internship is remote/online, so students can intern from anywhere in the USA, and given certain conditions (e.g., reliable internet connection, meeting-feasible time zones, and advanced English speaking and writing ability) from abroad. Depending on each student’s interests and skills plus our organizational needs, interns support the above-mentioned two programs, assisting with a variety of tasks including research and writing; local-to-global communications and list development via social media, email and phone; poster, video and website design and development; fundraising research and outreach, and more.
The internship typically starts in early-to-late January, mid-to-late May or late August-early September, though other starting dates are permissible depending on each student’s academic calendar. Interns must be able to commit a minimum of 8 hours/week: about 6 hours/week of independent work + and 2 hours of work meetings, including a live one-on-one meeting via Zoom once per week with Learning Life’s Director, Paul Lachelier, to go over work completed and assign new tasks.
The internship is unpaid, but offers substantive, resume-building experience working on innovative democracy and diplomacy initiatives, and a formal reference and/or recommendation letter upon request given satisfactory performance.
The Interns We Are Looking For
Applicants should be interested in democracy, diplomacy, international affairs, education, communications and/or children and families, and also be organized, detail-oriented, motivated and punctual. The ability to read, write and speak French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, or any other major language at an advanced to fluent level is a plus, as are poster and video-making skills.
To learn about some of Learning Life’s most recent interns, and learn why they chose to intern with us, visit our People Page.
How to Apply
Send your resume to email@learninglife.info. Students who wish to be considered for research and writing projects should include 2-3 writing samples. Students with digital poster or video-making skills should include 2-4 examples of their work. No need for a cover letter. Please indicate in your email when you would like to start interning with Learning Life (January, May, or late August-early September). We will contact you to schedule an interview if your resume matches what we are looking for. Thank you for your interest!
Spotlight: Spring 2020 Interns
Learning Life’s student interns this spring 2020 are, among other things, interviewing families worldwide that are participating in our Family Diplomacy Initiative(FDI) food culture project, building a library of free and low-cost international affairs videos, articles, photo collections and games for our International Mentoring Program, contributing research and writing for an upcoming article about feminist foreign policy, building the invitation list for ourDemocracy Dinners, and more. Happily, the six spring interns spotlighted below — Solana Gibson, Ishita Gupta, Anna Hermann, Nima Majidi, Karmen Perry and Ariana Sierra-Chacon — are among the best interns Learning Life has had since our founding in 2012, and we are very grateful for their excellent work.
SOLANA GIBSON
Year, major and school: I am a junior majoring in anthropology at George Mason University.
Hobbies: I enjoy doing anything related to music. I play four instruments: drum set, ukulele, piano, and bass guitar. I sometimes write songs using computer software like Ableton Live. I am also a percussionist in George Mason University’s pep band “The Green Machine”.
Career aspirations: I would like to be a user-experience researcher in a corporate setting.
Why Learning Life? I chose to intern with Learning Life because it seemed to be the most unique and worthwhile experience among the other internships available at the time. I was also drawn to the Family Diplomacy Initiative and the idea of family-to-family learning.
ISHITA GUPTA
Year, major and school: I am a freshman at George Washington University double majoring in international relations and economics.
Hobbies: I help plan speaker events for my foreign services sorority at GW. I also volunteer and fundraise for the sorority and charities partnered with my sorority.
Career aspirations: I plan to work in the field of diplomacy in an international organization.
Why Learning Life? I chose to intern with Learning Life because I was intrigued by citizen diplomacy and wanted to further cultural exchange and promote learning in non-academic settings as well.
ANNA HERMANN
Year, major and school: I am majoring in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am earning a certificate (similar to a minor) in Education & Educational Studies as well as Theatre.
Hobbies: I love to stay active outside. I enjoy hiking, running, and biking. In Madison, Wisconsin, there are a lot of bike trails to explore and it is currently my favorite physical activity. I also love to listen to music, sing and watch musical theatre. Everyone in my family is really interested in music. I have three siblings, and we all enjoy singing and constantly have music playing in the house when we get together.
Career aspirations: I plan to work in the U.S. education system in some way. I hope to work as either a school counselor or possibly even become an elementary or high school teacher someday.
Why Learning Life? I chose to intern with Learning Life because I believe in the power of education. It is important people become educated on material beyond what surrounds them. I believe this is extremely relevant in terms of international education and learning about the ways of life unlike one’s own. I believe that to become a better human, one must educate themselves on the lives and customs of others and accept that one’s way of life is not the only way, nor necessarily the right way.
NIMA MAJIDI
Year, major and school: I am a freshman at Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and while I have yet to declare any majors or minors, I am interested in majoring in Business and Global Affairs and potentially minoring in International Development.
Hobbies: In my free time, I like to read books about all sorts of topics ranging from economics to history to philosophy. I am currently reading Madeleine Albright’s “Hell and Other Destinations.” I also love discovering new museums and restaurants in Washington D.C and enjoying a quick chess game from time to time.
Career aspirations: I have no career plans set in stone, but I know that I want to be doing something relevant that helps or educates people in some way.
Why Learning Life? I chose to intern with Learning Life because it gave me the opportunity to combine all of my interests. In my time at Learning Life, I have been able to interact with people from many countries, even on occasion in their native language. I have seen parts of DC that I have never seen before and met a few of the many underprivileged children that Learning Life serves. I have spent hours researching and writing foreign policy. If someone had told me a year ago that I would have the opportunity to do all of these things as a freshman, I never would have believed them, but thanks to Learning Life, I have been able to do all these things and more.
KARMEN PERRY
Year, major and school: I am a junior at George Mason University majoring in Sociology with a concentration in Deviance, Crime, and Social Control. I am also double minoring in Global Affairs and Immigration Studies.
Hobbies: Recently, I’ve been into crocheting clothes for my friends and spending time outside reading or meditating.
Career aspirations: I hope to go into research where I can learn and write about institutionalized racism and inequalities in America.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life’s mission combines my two areas of interest: marginalized communities in the US and communities in other areas of the world. The work that Learning Life is doing is truly the first of its kind, and I am so excited to be a part of it!
ARIANA SIERRA-CHACON
Year, major and school: I am a freshman at Vassar College. My college major will most likely be political science and/or education and I might minor in Latin American Studies.
Hobbies: I like to play the guitar, or usually do something creative whether it be writing or painting. I also like to work out a lot and I try to go to the gym often.
Career aspirations: My potential career paths are diplomacy, education policy, or law. I am also very interested in doing nonprofit work.
Why Learning Life? I chose to intern with Learning Life because I am very interested in nonprofit work, education and diplomacy. Learning Life blends those together well. I am also very passionate about increasing accessibility to all people in foreign affairs and expanding the idea of democracy to transcend country and cultural borders. I was very excited to hear about the Family Diplomacy Initiative and I’m very happy to work with Learning Life for the semester.
Intern Spotlight: Quanchao Fan
Learning Life’s student interns this spring semester 2019 are assisting with curriculum development, research, and international fundays as part of our Citizen Diplomacy Initiative (CDI), among other things. Quanchao (Marvin) Fan, interviewed below, has been helping with this work and outreach to possible CDI partners in China.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born and raised in Xinxiang, Henan, China, an industrial city with a population over five million.
What school do you attend, and what is your year and major there?
I am in my second year of a Master’s degree in International Education at George Washington University.
What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I like to play and read with my little baby boy, Yuwen, now 9 months old. I also like to watch movies (especially historical dramas and comedies) with my wife, and play basketball or video games with friends.
Is there a life experience you have had that has particularly shaped you thus far? If so, what is it, and how has it shaped you?
I had an American teacher who taught us spoken English when I was a freshman in college in China. Before college, I had never been outside of my own province in China. I knew little about the outside world. During that one year of teaching us, this American teacher not only helped us improve our English speaking, but also introduced us to American and world culture, which totally opened my eyes to the world. I was lucky enough to become her personal assistant then, and that gave me a special opportunity to learn from her. She patiently guided me on how to be a responsible leader and organized professional. She even helped me get an internship with the State of Washington’s Department of Commerce in Seattle during my senior year in college. That was the first time I left China, and the first time I lived and worked in a completely different culture, which was challenging and life-changing for me. This professor has continued to mentor me for the last 12 years. I feel extremely grateful to her.
What are your career plans?
My next step is to return to teaching, maybe as a Chinese language teacher here in the United States. Eventually, I want to be an educator that can help young generations to be confident, independent-thinking, self-controlled, grateful and willing to learn.
Why did you choose to intern with Learning Life?
I believe this is a great opportunity to learn about kids from American lower-income families. Moreover, I would like to do my best to help these kids to learn about themselves and the world just like my American teacher in college has helped me.
What is the most beautiful place you have seen on Earth, and why is it so beautiful?
It is a Camping Ground on the right bank of the Columbia River in Vantage, Washington. I was there camping with my best friend in the summer 2011. From our camp site, we could see the spectacular view of the great Columbia River and feel the river’s cool wind. At night we could see millions of bright stars in the dark blue sky. I still have the breathtaking view in my head. That was my first time camping, building a camp fire, making and eating s’mores, sleeping in a car overnight, and clearly seeing millions of beautiful stars.
