First Impressions

I have been living in the capital city for four weeks now, and I am continually surprised by glimpses of the Capital building, the Washington Monument, and the White House. I am also surprised to learn that Washington, D.C. is more comparable to a third-world country than the capital of the Free World. In my Environment and Development class, we have discussed the extreme income gap, the unfortunate school system, and the high numbers of people affected by HIV/AIDS and homelessness in Washington, D.C.

In the most political city of our nation, I expected better quality of life.

I am interning at Atlas Service Corps assisting with the Latin America Program. The mission of Atlas Corps is “to address critical social issues, develop leaders, strengthen organizations and promote innovation through an overseas fellowship of skilled professionals.” The fellowship program is for young adults working in the non-profit sector to volunteer at an international organization and foster skills to network and lead internationally, and most importantly to take their skills and experiences back to their home country after their term is finished. The Latin America program is centered in Bogotá, Colombia but preparing to expand into Mexico, Brazil, and Chile. 

Every day, I communicate with my supervisor in Colombia via video chat and instant messaging, and the two of us are working on streamlining applications and promoting the Atlas Corps programs. So far it has been an incredible look behind the scenes, witnessing how a non-profit functions both in the United States and internationally, as well as gaining insight into program applications and what is individually marketable. I am looking forward to talking with Atlas Corps employees and past & present fellows, really absorbing international experiences and networks and what development work truly means. The best part about my seminar class is listening to important speakers describe their developmental and environmental processes, and then at my internship experiencing life in the real world.