The Washington Center

“ I first heard about the VET Initiative program at Student Veterans of America's National Convention. I researched the program and found it would provide opportunities beyond my first passion for military and veteran advocacy. Having interned and worked in this veteran service organization space for four years, I wanted to expand into immigration and human rights issues. With the guidance of Michael Duerr, he connected me with the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (WJPC) at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. for my internship. Not all internships are created equal and the WPJC far exceeded my expectations. As a WJPC research assistant, I had the great fortune to work under the direction of Professor Patrick Paterson. My research focused on categorizing global contemporary conflicts in accordance with the Geneva Conventions impacting the use of military and police tactics in Latin America. The internship afforded me mentorship and the freedom to utilize my military experience in Latin America. With Professor Paterson's guidance, my work will be published. ”

“I loved my team and mentor. My internship cohort was also very fun to work with.”