The Hinckley Institute offers an opportunity for students to explore Europe while gaining professional experience.
In 2006, the Hinckley Institute of Politics sent their first four global interns to the Scottish Parliament. Since then, the internships have expanded to Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany and Belgium. Programs have opportunities in a variety of fields from businesses to government offices.
Courtney Mcbeth, director of Global Internships at the Office for Global Engagement and Associate Director at the Hinckley Institute of Politics, said the European internships are the most popular.
“The internships set students apart from their competitors [in applying for work and graduate schools] by showing they have … experience in a global setting,” Mcbeth said.
Kendahl Melvin, a graduate in political science, international studies and economics, interned in Brussels, Belgium in the summer of 2013 with the foreign affair advisor for the People’s Party. This experience prompted her to do another internship at the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee working with national security. Post-graduation, Melvin was hired by Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Melvin said she was grateful for the opportunities Hinckley provided her and suggests all students apply, regardless of their major.
“Because of my experience, I was able to gain further internships, strong letters of recommendation and a background in foreign affairs that I never could have achieved in Utah,” Melvin said.
Elliot Fleming, a political science and economics major, originally thought he would intern in Jordan to utilize his Arabic speaking skills. Instead, Fleming interned with Craig Williams, who was running for a seat in the UK Parliament. Because the UK has a more door-to-door campaigning style, Fleming received an in-depth experience of the lobbying process.
“The internship was my life for months,” Fleming said. “I lived, ate and breathed the job. The best part was the victory we had worked so hard for at the end. But equally important are the friendships, the contacts and the fun.”
Students can apply online for the internships at www.hinckley.utah.edu/internships/. Requirements include a résumé, a writing sample, a cover letter, a transcript and letters of recommendation. Preferably, students should be a junior or senior with prior international and internship or work experience and GPA of 3.0 or higher.
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