Students at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University interned or studied languages in twenty-three countries outside the United States. Students also interned at federal agencies, state governments, and nonprofits, tackling border security and arms cooperation on the national level and child sex trafficking in Texas.
Bush School students traveled to Germany, Jordan, France, Wales, Latvia, China, United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Russia, Japan, Austria, Kenya, Lebanon, Honduras, Canada, Belgium, Egypt, Guatemala, Uganda, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Ecuador, and Kurdistan.
Emily Jensen, a Master of International Affairs (MIA) student, worked for the Department of State in the Office of Consular Affairs and had the opportunity to meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Jensen focused on immigration applications.
The Department of State and U.S. Pacific Command hosted the largest number of students from the Department of International Affairs over the summer, and popular languages among students were Russian, Spanish, Arabic, German, and French.
Devin Malone, MIA, spent his summer studying Spanish in Colombia and recently passed his required Oral Proficiency Exam for the Bush School.
Several students in the Master of Public Service and Administration (MPSA) program interned at the Welsh General Assembly-Swansea University, various departments and state agencies within the Texas A&M University System, Brazos County, and the Office of the Texas Governor.
Ashley Alley, MPSA, interned in Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office of Child Sex Trafficking. Alley said the job was enriching because she saw firsthand how the governor is attempting to take the lead on combatting human trafficking.
Another MPSA student, Annette Mackey, also interned for the Texas Governor’s Summer 2018 Internship Program. She worked in Constituent Communication in the Office of the Texas Governor.
MPSA students Georgia Gandy Osburn and Joseph Cannon Tate worked at the National Assembly for Wales. Osburn said a policy formation class at the Bush School prepared her for the internship duties. Elizabeth O’Connor, MPSA, worked for the Wales Centre for Public Policy as a part of her summer exchange with Swansea University. O’Connor worked mostly on public policy, researching issues such as foster care and youth homelessness.
Bush School students also spent time in the nation’s capital. Tyler Neves, MIA, worked at the Department of Defense in the Directorate of International Cooperation and focused on arms cooperation.
Gabriela Hernandez, MIA, worked as a graduate fellow for Rep. Filemon Vela and helped with the family separation crisis. Hernandez also crafted a pamphlet titled Texas Disaster Information for constituents.
