Summer in Washington

This summer, I interned with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a nonprofit, bipartisan think tank in Washington D.C., focusing on foreign affairs. Under the mentorship of Alice Hunt Friend, a Senior Fellow in the International Security Program, I explored security issues in Africa and the Middle East, with an emphasis on U.S. counterterrorism and security assistance policy.

With Ms. Friend, I published my first commentary in Just Security, which looks at the intersection of transitional justice and countering violent extremism and argues for more serious consideration of human rights in security policy. Most recently, Ms. Friend and I authored a report on The Evolution of U.S. Defense Posture in North and West Africa, which reflects on the largely crisis-driven approach Washington has taken to address threats on the continent.

In addition to learning about the dynamic policy world, I had the chance to explore our nation’s capitol (See below).

The U.S. Capitol Building

President Lincoln’s Cottage