Alumna Emily Shiels, who double-majored in geography and global and international studies, completed a ten-week internship last summer in Washington, D.C., with the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening diplomacy, development, and defense.
As part of the Government Relations team, Shiels was responsible for monitoring congressional actions and attitudes on international affairs. She said the experience equipped her with insights into legislative processes and international policy.
“I monitored statements from members of Congress, tracked relevant legislation, and took notes on hearings and congressional testimonies related to our issue sets,” Shiels said. “If anyone suggested cutting funding to critical areas, it was up to us to flag this for senior staff action.”
Her tasks extended to creating summaries for a weekly newsletter and writing a blog post about former State Department officials now serving in Congress, highlighting the complex relationship between legislative actions and international policy outcomes.
Shiels’ interest in international affairs drove her decision to participate in the USGLC internship.
“I was applying to every internship available in Washington, D.C., but specifically sought out opportunities that aligned with my interest in international affairs,” Shiels said. “USGLC provided a perfect blend of advocacy, policy, and hands-on experience.”
Shiels said the internship was a strategic step toward her career aspirations in foreign policy and national security. She emphasized the relevance of majoring in geography and the skills developed through her academic work at Penn State, especially in research, were directly applicable to her internship tasks, enabling her to navigate legislative complexities effectively.
“Geography is interdisciplinary, allowing you to apply it to various fields,” Shiels said. “It’s particularly useful in international affairs, especially for understanding migration and power dynamics. When you think about international studies, you also have to think about how space influences everything. These are fundamentally geographical issues.”
In addition to her academic and professional pursuits, Shiels has shown considerable leadership within the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences community. As president of the EMS Student Council, she played an integral role in diversity and inclusion initiatives through the EMS ALLWE committee. She also served as a lead mentor in the Total Engagement with EMS (TEEMS) program and participated as an EMS Ambassador.
Her contributions were recognized with the Jay M. and Katherine DeFinis Award for Outstanding Student Leadership and the Ellen Steidle Achievement Award for her service to the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.
Having recently graduated, Shiels reflects on the skills and connections she gained from her internship, which have already influenced her early professional endeavors. She looks forward to applying her experience and education in international affairs as she continues her career, starting with her upcoming studies at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) this fall.