Jenna Hudson, IPD ’19

Search for Common Ground Summer Internship

This summer’s internship at Search for Common Ground was a huge learning experience on multiple levels. First, I worked for an organization and part of a team that exposed me to the peacebuilding field in the Middle East and North Africa region – something I had very little understanding of before entering the internship. I was able to really dig deep on understanding peace processes and actors in the world, as well as learn more about the historical context of the conflicts in the region. This summer helped me understand that this particular niche in the field isn’t necessarily the direction I want to pursue in the future, but there was an incredible learning as some of the tools and processes for peacebuilding are transferable across themes in the field.

Search for Common Ground’s organizational structure is highly decentralized, which meant I learned a whole new set of skills for managing tasks and teams across the globe, with people I would never meet in person. I’ve realized this kind of experience is highly valuable for future jobs in the International Development field as many organizations manage similar teams and projects globally and my project management skills were boosted over the summer.

This summer I also got a deep-dive into the world of International Development as I got to see the inner-workings of the field, particularly as it relates to the players and actors in Washington, D.C. This experience allowed me to see a wide variety of organizations, businesses, government entities, and policy makers that are contributing to International Development. Perhaps this was the best learning experience as it helped me make sense of where I might want to land upon graduation, and even for my IPSS practicum placement.

” Photo of Jenna Hudson in front of the Search for Common Ground motto. “

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