Grant Recipient: Jack Hoskins, Class of 2012
Major: Government/Economics
Organization: U.S. Embassy
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
I am working as a commercial intern in the US Embassy in Bulgaria. My work here consists mainly of writing trade reports that analyze sectors of the Bulgarian economy and estimate how successful US exports are likely to be. It's been a great experience for many reasons. As someone who has always wanted to work in international relations and become a diplomat, the internship showed me what working in an embassy overseas is actually like. I came here expecting to find out if I was interested in the Foreign Service job (and I did find out- I am), but I quickly realized that an equally important question was whether the expat lifestyle was for me. It's also given me a taste of how offices work and how to deal (cope) with bureaucracy. Last, but certainly not least, just being in Bulgaria was a fantastic experience. It's a wonderful country I knew little about, and likely would never have visited if not for this internship. To anyone who is thinking about applying, you should absolutely do it. I am extremely happy to be here, and thankful to the summer experience grant donors and committee.
