Lugo: Washington D.C. Internship “Life-Changing”

For University of the Ozarks senior Gustavo Lugo, the summer of 2024 is one he will long remember.

The business administration and political science major from Diriamba, Nicaragua, recently completed a two-month internship in Washington D.C. in the Europe program of the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) through The Fund for American Studies (TFAS).

Lugo, a Walton International Scholar at Ozarks, called it a "life-changing experience."

"Thanks to BCIU and TFAS, I was able to have incredible networking and professional opportunities," Lugo said. "I was able to be part of roundtable discussions with different ambassadors to the U.S., including the European Union, Greek, and Chilean ambassadors. Also, I was able to attend a small and intimate ceremony, where the main guest speaker was the former VP of the United States, Mike Pence. It was the first time I've really experienced being by myself in a big city, a big metropolitan area. During these last two months, I was able to discover myself more, and get to know what I really like for my future and what I am not really into."

As part of the experience, Lugo took a 3000-level economics course.

"The workload between my internship and classes was really high, but still I was able to manage that and got a good grade in the class," he said. "I would definitely say that the economic courses I took at Ozarks, taught by retired professor Robert Wofford, were good foundations for my academic success and really helpful in how to study for my tests. I really got exposed to a lot of opportunities that back home I would have never had. I also realized the importance of doing networking for career opportunities. Moreover, in my workplace I was able to see the intersection of how business and politics interact in order to make a better society. Now I can say I will come back to the Ozarks campus more equipped with experience and knowledge to share in my classes and extracurricular events, such as in the Entrepreneurship Club, where I am the president."

One interaction was especially meaningful for Lugo - when he met Ana Rosa Quintana, a lead Republican policy advisor in the U.S. House of Representatives on U.S. policy towards Latin America and the Caribbean

"During a conversation with her, I told her about a paper I started writing in my research methods class back in Ozarks last fall," Lugo said. "I told her that I will finish the paper during my last semester as my final dissertation based on the recent leftists shift in some Latin American countries. She told me that she was more than happy to collaborate with me in the final edition of that paper since it is an increasing topic in the Western Hemisphere."

Lugo also got the opportunity to take part in site briefings in venues such as the U.S. Department of State, the World Bank, the Spain embassy, and the Inter-American Development Bank.

"I learned more about the opportunities that these places offer in my home region offices for future career plans," Lugo said.

The internship was partly funded through the University's Student Enrichment Fund (SEF).

"Without being awarded with the Walton International Scholarship and receiving the SEF, I would have never had this great opportunity," Lugo said. "I would really encourage other Ozarks students to take advantage of this opportunity in the future and highlight the great support that the University provides to students through the SEF. Studying at University of the Ozarks is such a great blessing in my life, and I am sure it will continue to be in the future to help my family and my country. I am really grateful for all the opportunities that God has given me in my life to follow my dreams and start working for the career I want."

Lugo said the entire internship experience has helped him hone in on his career plans and goals.

"After graduation, I would like to return back to my home country region and find an entry-level job opportunity in an international organization country office, either related to international business or international affairs, especially with focus on Europe or Latin America," he said. "In the future, after I get some time of professional experience, I would like to pursue a master's degree in international business or international affairs, either in Europe or the U.S., and then find work opportunities in those countries. My dream job in some years would be to be an ambassador or commercial diplomat for my country in any place in the world. My summer experience was really important to start taking those first steps towards my after-graduation and career plans. I got some great experience for my resume in both areas of business and political science, realized what I want do in the near future, and saw the different job opportunities that exist for the path I want to follow."

Topics: Business Administration, Political Science