UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Ava Klink, a senior majoring in environmental resource management in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, admits that getting a coveted internship with the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., is unusual for someone with her educational background.
“Most of the other interns came from backgrounds in international politics or linguistics,” said Klink, of Canton, Ohio, about interning with the agency, which advises the president on foreign policy issues. “It was unique for me to be selected, but I think the practical nature of our ERM program supported my application. I could articulate why issues of natural resource scarcity and shared management of resources are serious political concerns and even national security issues.”
Klink, who also is majoring in journalism, said during the last four years, she has been able to tailor her ERM courses to combine her interests in the environment, international politics and journalism.
“There’s a huge area of our global politics that has to do with natural resources,” she said. “I’ve focused on the environmental policy and economics classes to get a practical picture of what ERM looks like on an international scale and what I can do with this major.”
Tammy Shannon, academic advising coordinator for ERM, said Klink is a tremendously engaged student. “She understands the value of connecting and communicating with others to advance issues surrounding natural resources,” Shannon said. “We’re happy she is part of our program and president of the ERM Society student organization.”
During her internship, Klink worked in the front office for the department’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. She described it as the overarching office of leadership within the bureau. Klink worked alongside the staff and the leadership team. Her day-to-day work varied, including reviewing policy recommendations and memos.
“It was exciting seeing policies in their earliest stages, then watching how they developed to eventually become part of U.S. foreign policy,” Klink said. “I didn’t realize the extent of issues the State Department worked on before my internship. They cover everything from science and technology to wildlife conservation — from the ocean’s depths to the moon.”
Klink noted that a highlight of the internship occurred in June when she was present at the Willard InterContinental Hotel to witness the Republic of India become the 27th country to sign the Artemis Accords. She explained that the Artemis Accords established standards and practices to maintain peaceful space exploration among the signatories.
Another highlight, she said, was volunteering at the Chiefs of Mission Conference. “U.S. ambassadors from other countries return to Washington to discuss the state of U.S. foreign policy and the issues impacting each country,” Klink said. “It was an honor to meet ambassadors from all over the world and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.”
After Klink was accepted to the internship program, she applied for and received an Annenberg Fellowship through the Council of American Ambassadors. She was one of six student recipients selected and the only student from a STEM background.
Each student was paired with an ambassador mentor. Klink was paired with Laurie S. Fulton, the ambassador to Denmark in the Obama administration. The students met with their ambassador mentors throughout the summer to learn about their experiences and gain advice and insight on career paths after graduation.
The students also were paired with peer mentors who were former fellows and successful young professionals. Klink was paired with an attorney focusing on First Amendment and media law.
“My peer mentor gave me advice on navigating the period after graduation, including what kind of steps to take personally and professionally,” said Klink, who is graduating in May. “It was nice to have someone who had graduated recently and could understand the questions I’m facing right now.”
The final aspect of the fellowship was weekly lectures at the Institute of World Politics. According to Klink, the institute is a renowned graduate school that prepares students for intelligence, security and international affairs careers.
“We had personalized lectures on the arts of statecraft — all the elements that align to keep our country running,” she said. “The classes were unlike anything I’d ever been in. Everyone was brilliant, and it was an honor to learn from successful practitioners.”
Klink said the experiences of this summer will carry into her future career.
“There’s so much going on in terms of environmental issues on the international scale,” she said. “I would love to be back in Washington, D.C., but either way, I’m looking to end up somewhere just as fulfilling as the work I was doing this summer.”