Athens, Ga. – Fourteen University of Georgia students selected to participate in the UGA Honors Internship Program are spending their summer serving as interns in a variety of programs in Washington, D.C., New York and Savannah.
The students, who underwent a rigorous application process, are working 40-hour weeks in professional settings related to their academic interests and career goals. The internship sites include non-profit organizations, congressional and law offices, think tanks and media companies.
“We are especially proud to be celebrating this summer the 10th anniversary of the Honors in Washington Internship Program,” said Maria de Rocher, coordinator of the UGA Honors programming. “Our interns’ impressive accomplishments during the past decade undoubtedly helped build UGA’s outstanding reputation in the nation’s capital.”
Rising juniors Yuliya Bila of Canton; Lindsey Cook of Duluth; Nick Eberhart of Lilburn; Tucker Green of Duluth; and rising seniors Scott Cogar of Columbus; David Mapp of Union Point; Sarah Edwards of Powder Springs; Emily Fountain of Glennville; Alexandra Hebdon of Marietta; Charles Spalding of Saint Simons Island; and Alexander Vey of Chattanooga, Tenn. are interning in Washington, D.C.
The summer interns in New York include rising juniors Smitha Ganeshan of Johns Creek and Osama Hashmi of Martinez, while rising senior Kaya Porter of Conyers is working in Savannah.
Bila, who is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in international affairs, Spanish and Russian, is interning with the Washington office of UGA’s Center for International Trade and Security. She has conducted research in Spain on the Euro debt crisis and interned with the International Rescue Committee, a refugee resettlement group. She plans to become a U.S. foreign service officer.
Cook, who is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish, is interning with the TV to Africa division of Voice of America, an international public broadcasting company. With international or investigative journalism as her career goal, she has participated in a global peace studies program in Ecuador and served as an online news intern with the Athens Banner-Herald.
Eberhart, who is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and economics, is interning in the office of Rep. David Scott. He has been a researcher and policy writer with UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the UGA chapter of the Roosevelt Institute, a national student-run think tank. His career goals include international development or public interest law.
Green, who is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and Spanish, is interning with McKenna, Long and Aldridge. He has studied the Mexican drug crisis as an undergraduate researcher, reported for the Red & Black student newspaper and served as managing editor for UGA’s student-run Georgia Political Review journal. His plans include law school.
Cogar, who is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in public relations and finance, is interning in the office of Rep. John Barrow. He plans a career in financial compliance in the public or private sector. His previous experiences include internships with the Athens Banner-Herald and the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
Mapp, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science, also is interning in the office of Rep. John Barrow. He has conducted research on the effects of negative political advertising through the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities during his first two years at UGA. His long-term plans include a combined career in law and politics.
Edwards, who is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in political science and digital and broadcast journalism, is interning in the Office of Rep. Tom Graves. She has participated as a reporter with Grady Newsource, the daily student-produced newscast from UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. She plans on a career in law and politics.
Fountain, who is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in political science and magazine journalism, is interning in the office of Rep. Jack Kingston. She has served as a mentor in the Thomas Lay After-School Program in Athens and currently serves as a senator in UGA’s Student Government Association. Her career aspirations include criminal litigation and educational policy.
Hebdon, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and a master’s degree in public administration and policy, is interning with the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University. To help prepare for a national security career, she participated in the Security Leadership Program with UGA’s Center for International Trade and Security.
Spalding, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in history, is interning in the Office of Sen. Johnny Isakson. His volunteer experiences include involvement with the Thomas Lay After-School Program and Junior Achievement of Georgia, an organization focused on economic, education and workforce development in grades K-12. He plans a law career.
Vey, who is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in political science and international affairs, is interning with the National Association of Counties, working on projects related to open meeting laws and social media laws and policies. He has been involved with the UGA Mock Trial program and participated in the UGA at Oxford program. He would like to become a lawyer.
Ganeshan, who is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and biochemistry and molecular biology, is interning at the Greater New York Hospital Association. She currently serves as the health and environmental policy director with UGA’s Roosevelt Institute. She is interested in a career in medicine and health policy.
Hashmi, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology, also is interning at Greater New York Hospital Association. As a UGA Roosevelt Scholar, he studied Georgia’s mental health policies. He also investigated aging and community health issues in Taiwan as a recipient of the Honors International Scholarship. His career aspiration is to become a physician policymaker.
Porter, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science, is interning in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia in Savannah. She is an active participant in UGA’s Undergraduate Mock Trial Program and is a member of the Sigma Alpha Lambda Honor Society. She would like to become an attorney and judge.
For more information about the UGA Honors Internship Program, contact Maria de Rocher at derocher@uga.edu.
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