Internships as an ES (P1)

My name is Benni, and I was an exchange student from Germany. I lived in Menlo Park, California, and had an amazing and unique experience during my time there.

My high school in California was called Summit Prep, and we had a special program called Expeditions. During Expeditions, we focused on developing skills that would be useful for our future careers. In Germany, we are required to complete two internships as part of our education.

I have a passion for politics and have completed two internships in Germany. One was at the office of Timon Gremmels, my local member of the Bundestag (the German Parliament). The other was with Florian Schneider, a member of our state parliament. Both are part of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), as am I.

Getting my first internship with Timon Gremmels was more challenging than I expected. I initially reached out to him on Instagram, which led to several emails, phone calls, and eventually a job interview. To my surprise and delight, I got the internship. I spent two weeks in his offices in Berlin and Kassel, learning a lot despite most activities being online due to COVID-19. This internship helped me make connections within the party and gain a deeper understanding of the Bundestag.

My second internship with Florian Schneider was easier to obtain since we had campaigned together for another local politician. During this internship, I attended meetings, wrote reports for the state government, and managed visitor groups. One memorable experience was when my brother's class and my high school choir visited the parliament, and I got to spend time with them.

Finding an internship in the USA was a different story. Despite the jokes, it really is challenging to secure a job in the USA, especially as a high school student and a non-US citizen. I faced numerous rejections and was often ignored by companies, foundations, and think tanks. I was so desperate that I reached out to everyone I knew, only to be told that it was nearly impossible to get an internship in my situation. Despite having good references, it seemed like a lost cause.

Just as Mr. Darling, the Dean of Expeditions, was about to find an alternative project for me, I refused to give up. After countless calls, I finally landed an internship with the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, a German think tank associated with the SPD. However, the real challenge was yet to come. My exchange organization, CIEE, initially opposed the idea, arguing that it wasn't a "real" American experience. This puzzled me, as I couldn't think of anything more American than working near the Capitol in Washington D.C. and meeting influential people. Eventually, they agreed, and I stayed with my relatives Lisa and Heide in Silver Spring, commuting to D.C. and having an incredible time.

To be continued in Part 2…

Thank you to Florian, Timon, Knut, Esther, Oliver, and your teams for an amazing time.

Yours,

Benni