Each summer the Center funds students to intern with international and domestic human rights organizations. Student interns engage in the field of human rights by working for organizations that promote human rights or raise awareness about related issues; undertaking research for a scholarly project (including senior theses); or developing an independent program in a field related to human rights studies. Students gain practical experience of the ways in which knowledge, political and economic policies, and leadership must be combined to understand and overcome human rights abuses and genocide in today’s world. These experiences are invaluable to the overall education our students receive and also often lead to future employment or research opportunities.
As part of the summer internship program, the Center has established partnerships with leading organizations including Human Rights Watch (NY), Amnesty International, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Enough Project, the POLIN museum in Warsaw, and the Jewish Museum in Riga, Latvia. Students have the opportunity to secure an internship at one of these partnered opportunities or through their own networks.
2022 Summer Interns
Nicola Augustyn ’23 – Foraging Opportunities for Refugees in America (FORA), Chicago, IL
Valentina Gonzalez ’23 – Human Rights Watch, New York, NY
Nicole Jonassen ’24 – Amnesty International, Washington, DC
Luis Mendoza ’25 – Public Counsel, Los Angeles, CA
Sharanya Suresh ’24 – Kurdish Refugee Relief Foundation, San Diego, CA
Kyra Variyava ’25 – Rerooted, New York, NY
Laura Somoza Velez ’24 – Human Rights Watch, New York, NY
Chloe Wibawa ’23 – Connecticut Against Gun Violence (CAGV), Greenwich, CT