Crossing Borders: St. Thomas University Student Interns in Washington

St. Thomas University students can look well beyond their backyard for intern and work experience during university.

Bliss White, a third-year student who is completing a double honours in history and political science, spent last summer gaining experience in the world of international trade in Washington, D.C..

White completed a placement through The Washington Centre, a non-profit academic internship program which brings together dedicated university students and civic, governmental and business leaders.

White decided to participate in the centre’s international trade and regional integration program, which deals with promoting cross-border issues, and solving international trade problems. As part of his internship, he worked for a firm that navigates trade barriers and helps secure contracts for African countries to bring business to the United States.

“We got to work closely with the partners. We would go to congressional meetings, and we got to sit in the room when they met with ambassadors about the firm’s business interests,” says White.

White says the experience opened his eyes to the real world of business and politics.

“I’m not a business student, so that was a really interesting learning process, and it gave me insights on how to find a place in that world outside of academia.”

White, who hopes to eventually work for an international organization such as NATO, says the experience introduced him to host of careers he hadn’t considered.

“I think it was a real confidence booster too – here I am, I could make it here in Washington, I could do the work,” he says.

“St. Thomas allows you to become a very flexible person,” he says. “So that’s something I really took away from STU when I was in the States. It wasn’t my area of study, but I had the initiative and the resources to learn the business side of it.”