Major: English

• Internship: Political Violence Lab
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-bell-386206133/

 Tell us about your internship – what kind of work did you do? What did you find rewarding?

I worked as a student researcher at the Political Violence Lab. At the lab, we conducted interviews with professionals within international affairs in order to discover "shadow topics", which are issues that are rarely or never spoken about on the news. In addition, we created surveys to investigate why certain news topics fall "off the radar". I found it rewarding to listen to various professionals speak about the causes they are passionate about and having the possibility to connect with these professionals as a career connection.

Have your career or life goals changed as a result of your internship? If so, how? 

Since the Political Violence Lab internship had a human rights focus, it helped me confirm my interest in journalism! Being able to interview a UN professional about their job and the issues they resolve on a daily basis allowed me to understand how to be an effective interviewer. It also helped me understand, from a personal standpoint, the nuances of certain issue. My experience helped me learn that a big part of being a good journalist is being a good researcher. Throughout the internship, I've been able to learn about the breadth of international issues and about the solutions that those international affairs spaces propose. 

Did your internship lead to any opportunities?

I had the opportunity to attend an interview with Edith Chapin, NPR's Vice President and Executive Editor at Large. She gave us great feedback on our lab's beta-survey, which looked to investigate U.S. residents' knowledge of international events.

Share a story about something special you did in Washington – an event you attended, a place you went, an exciting talk, etc. 

While in DC, I was able to take a West Wing tour of the White House! It was exciting to take photos in the Press Room, where many major news corporations sit in to ask questions to the Speaker of the House. It was also really cool to learn the history of the building as well. I learned that the oldest piece of furniture there is the desk in the Oval Office - been there since the 1700s!

Do you have any advice for future UCDC students?

For internships, make sure to apply to as many as you can! As far as connections go, make sure to put yourself out there and try new things!