Students Pursue Diplomacy, Research in Suriname
Katie Kirsch, '12, Courtney Meyer, '11, and Claire Kaisler, '11, were the first undergraduate interns selected to work for the U.S. embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname's capital. During their ten-week internships, the trio worked with the embassy's political-economic, consular and public diplomacy departments, researching and writing reports, attending conferences, evaluating visa applications, and assisting with events related to the embassy’s priorities of democracy, human rights, and environmental sustainability.
"History is not something to just be studied in dusty old textbooks ... Rather, it is a living, breathing narrative that enriches and influences us here today," writes Colleen Ouendag, '12, as she describes her experience this summer as an intern at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids. Ouendag, who is pursuing an individualized major in American studies, witnessed that narrative play out firsthand this month at work, as she was involved in the museum's preparations for the memorial and funeral service for former first lady Betty Ford.