Internship Chronicles, Chapter 18: Isabel Chasney

One fall day, a Student Prince decided to go on a little adventure. “It won’t be long before I have a career,” the Prince said, “so I’d better start preparing now.” So with some ’Berg education under their hat, and some connections in their back pocket, the Student Prince began forging their way through an internship.

We continue our web series, Internship Chronicles.

Chapter 18: A Whole Lotta Acronyms – My Adventurous Summer in DC at the National War College

Isabel Chasney is a student from Milan, Ohio. She is triple majoring in political science, English writing and international studies. She spent her summer at the National War College in D.C., interning as a professor's assistant. Her end goal is to work for the State Department.

How did you find your internship, or how did the internship find you?

I found out about this internship through Dean Jamie Orr, who is the Dean of Faculty at the National War College and is a Heidelberg alum. I met him in summer of 2021 for lunch in DC while doing another internship and the organization sounded really interesting so I submitted an application the next year.

What did you expect from your internship initially?

I honestly had no idea what to expect. The initial duties were to help professors create their syllabi, so I knew it would be research heavy.

What really happens in your day-to-day work?

It was a great deal of researching and helping to write syllabi, but it was also just a wonderful learning opportunity. I learned a lot about specific government departments and how to find careers in these departments. The professors were wonderful and friendly and more than willing to give advice. It was a great scholarly community.

What connections have you made?

I worked with four other interns from around the US who I still stay in contact with. I also was able to talk a lot to different faculty members at the war college. They would often come visit our intern office during lunch and give presentations about various topics. We were also always invited to stop by different offices and meet with the professors too. It was a very cool experience.

What is the most valuable thing you’ll bring back to the classroom after this experience?

I think the most valuable thing I will bring back is just a greater understanding of how the government operates. The whole process is incredibly complex, so being able to witness firsthand how departments work with one another and what kind of information they share is fascinating.