Amanda Walker

Year: Junior

Majors: International Studies, Political Science

Internship: Human Rights intern in the U.S. Department of State

What: Walker is working in the Office of Multilateral and Global affairs, which is in U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

For Walker, who is considering a career in the Foreign Service, a State Department position is an important step toward a successful career. “It’s a busy place,” Walker says, “and it can be tough balancing priorities. I am given a lot of responsibility in my office, and I often get several assignments at once. I have to use my best judgement about which projects I should prioritize over the others.”

Walker has been encouraged to attend any meeting she was interested in, and during her time in Washington, D.C., she has met with NGOs, women who hold leadership positions in Burkina Faso and South Sudan, and senior officials in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The meetings help Walker connect her academic work to work being done at the State Department and to her future aspirations.