By Ellie Spresser
This summer Ellie Spresser (IPED 2021) interned with the Clinton Foundation on the Foreign Policy team. During the course of her internship she:
- Wrote weekly COVID-19 briefings on national developments in Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, and the United Kingdom, four countries in which the Clinton Foundation operates
- Wrote an in-depth project proposal analyzing the situational context and economic opportunities for Venezuelan refugee women in Colombia
- Wrote political briefings summarizing the presidential elections in Malawi and the Dominican Republic
- Updated the records of achievement for President Clinton’s foreign policy accomplishments during his administration in China, Ukraine, Russia, and on disarmament
- Created a schedule of UN General Assembly events relevant to Clinton Foundation programming and updated it weekly
- Researched potential speakers for future programming
- Fact-checked blog posts for the marketing team
- Attended over 20 webinars and meetings on behalf of the Foundation and took comprehensive notes
Ellie was connected to the internship opportunity through an IPED alumna, Grace Avila (Class of 2017). Ellie recommends networking with IPED alumni early so that personal connections are made before the summer internship hunt begins in earnest.
As the Public Service Assistant, Ellie interned with the UNDP Global Program on Nature for Development during the last academic year. Prior to joining IPED, Ellie was a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English in Indonesia. She completed her undergraduate degree in Women’s Studies at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, GA. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in diplomacy, working for the United States Department of State. Ellie would like to thank the IPED program for generously providing summer internship support and funding.
