This is not the end…

While there is so many words I want to say about this incredible journey, I am currently speechless.  From meeting renowned professionals, including Vijay Prashad and Kim Barker, to working with the two of the strongest and kindest women, Sarah and Mary, this internship was more than I ever expected.  However, the best part is knowing that it is not over yet because I will be back next semester. 

I started this internship assuming that I would be filing or inputting data, basically minimalistic work that would not make any significant impact.  However, I have never been more wrong in my life.  Throughout this semester, I had the opportunity to photograph Brown Bag lectures, Vijay Prashad and Ian Johnstone’s lectures.  Who would have thought that I could actually be good at using a professional camera?  Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet the man behind the words of The Darker Nations, a book I read in my globalization class.  I never thought that I would have the opportunity to meet one of the authors of a book I had to read in class, it made the assignment more personal.  Instead of completing the assignment and moving on, I am able to constantly think about it and remember the conversation I had with Prashad.  His work on western interventions in eastern societies has prompted me to focus my two research assignments this semester on further understanding the interventions. 

Additionally, I had the opportunity to interview Kim Barker.  I never would have imagined interviewing a person who interviewed political figures including Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in a war zone.  As my earlier posts mention, this was truly one of the most incredible and unimaginable experiences of my life. 

While having all these memorable and educational experiences, the greatest part of this internship is Sarah Lyall-Combs and Mary Price.  They have inspired me to see the unimaginable, motivated me to reach beyond my perceived limits, and supported my internship and academic journeys every step of the way and I could never thank them enough.  I am privileged to know them and grateful for the opportunity to spend another semester learning from them. 

While this is the end of the semester, you will be hearing from me soon about Going Global!

~Rana

P.S. I cannot wait to see all the incredible experiences I will have in the spring semester!

Leave a Reply