Meet Lauren. We can’t get enough of her. Really though. Lauren is currently interning with Invisible Children for her third non-consecutive internship season. We were sad to see her leave for a little while she finished an International Affairs degree at James Madison University and spent a year au pairing in France, but – fortunately for us – Lauren is now back as our International Programs Intern, where she’s been able to use her fluency in French and her passion for International Development to make a huge impact at Invisible Children. Her role is definitely one worth learning more about, so I sat down with her to talk about her time at Invisible Children.
What made you want to stay with Invisible Children for a third internship season?
I originally wanted to work at Invisible Children because I had a friend who worked here and talked about how much she loved it. It seemed like a dream to work here. I was hired to be an Engagement Intern during the aftermath of the KONY 2012 campaign, so it was a crazy but incredible first season of work. The decision to come back was based on my professional goals. I knew that the International Program Internship would be an ideal launch-pad for a career in International Development. The fact that I could have such a perfect job within an amazing organization plus the tight-knit community of interns was an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up.
In one sentence, why do you love working at IC?
I originally fell in love with Invisible Children because of the community, but this time around I love the opportunity to learn what it means to work in International Development and witness how incredible IC’s on-the-ground programs really are.
What does a typical day as an International Programs Intern look like?
Day to day life for me varies, but is mostly centered around assisting the central Africa programs team. I translate daily High Frequency (HF) radio reports (from French to English) that we receive regarding potential LRA activity in the region. These reports are then entered into the LRA Crisis Tracker and distributed to critical partners on the ground. I also help with historical data entry for the LRA Crisis Tracker. Right now, I’m working to promote communication between our team in the U.S. and our teams on the ground in CAR, DRC, and Uganda. And when I’m not doing all of that, I help to meet any general needs of the department!
What sets your internship apart from others, and what impact are you able to make in your specific role?
I get to work directly with the programs in East and central Africa, which is something unique to my position. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to work with the people both here at Invisible Children HQ that run the programs and the people that are on-the-ground. This role is amazing because it is so vital to the department and to IC’s mission as a whole. It’s a matter of receiving, translating, and reporting LRA activity so that the organization knows which programs to implement to most effectively respond to the LRA conflict.
What’s your favorite part about living in San Diego?
The weather is a really obvious perk, but the thing I really love about San Diego is how much it has to offer. I am a traveler at heart, and even after living here for three season’s worth of internships, there is still so much I have yet to explore. I never feel like I’m tired of San Diego – there’s always something new to experience.
What’s it like working and living with other interns?
I love it! I’ve been lucky to have a really positive experience in the intern house all three seasons that I’ve worked here. Being the intern house manager (aka house mom) has been really fun too.
What’s been your favorite moment so far?
The most powerful moment I have experienced so far was the opportunity to translate and report the story of Opondo’s escape. I first received a report of an LRA combatant defecting back in late August. I translated the report and gradually, more and more information began to trickle in to our team. We eventually found out that the defector was Opondo: a 23-year-old Ugandan man who had been abducted by the LRA 15 years ago. He had written a letter months ago stating his desire to come out of the bush, and he eventually surrendered with one of our defection fliers. It was such a testament to the power and effectiveness of our programs, and I felt like I had a direct role in communicating his return to our office and to the world.
What advice would you give a future intern?
The advice to “jump in” is obvious and very true, but I think another crucial piece of advice is to be extremely intentional with what you want to both give and get out of this experience – be it personal growth, professional growth, or something else. Being here for several seasons has given me the opportunity to reflect on what I’ve wanted to get out of the internship, and I’ve realized that the more you know why you’re here, the more rewarding the experience is. I’ve made sure to be intentional with how I want to grow professionally in International Development, and I think it’s critical to come to the internship with clear goals so that you can make the most of this internship experience.
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