Alumni

Karan graduated as an IRGB/ECON double major in 2017. Being in Washington under the Dornsife DC program allowed him to channel classroom learning into a very valuable hands-on experience. “From fascinating museums and events to a really vibrant social scene, this program has it all even if you aren’t a policy wonk.” Karan enjoyed his time in Washington so much that after college he returned to the city. He is now in Washington DC as the CEO of Silverstone Investment Group.

Connor pursued a B.A. in International Relations with a minor in History, graduating in 2016. He worked for a member of the House Armed Services Committee in Congress while in Washington. Having already had a previous Summer internship at a foreign policy think tank under his belt, and knowing that he wanted to stay in DC, he used the DC semester to both close out his degree and to job hunt in DC during his final semester before graduation. This successfully culminated in a job at Booz Allen Hamilton, a defense contractor, and consultancy, where he currently works providing research and analysis, program support and change management to DoD clients such as DARPA and the DoD Chief Information Officer. Connor is currently studying for the GRE in order to get an MA in Security Studies.

Eva graduated in 2017 with a Bachelors in International Relations and minor in Theatre. During her semester in DC, she interned at the Women in Public Service Project at the Wilson Center. Building off that opportunity, she spent a year on an executive project at Vital Voices Global Partnership — which included two summers in DC, a city she’d grown to love. Eva also did a virtual internship with the US Department of State working with women entrepreneurs in Niger. To figure out what sector of international affairs was right for her, Eva spent a year writing professionally to explore her communications and press skill-sets. Then, knowing that combining her passions for international affairs and communications was her career-sweet-spot, Eva moved back to DC in 2018, and now and works as Deputy Press Secretary at the Center for Global Development. To some, a commitment to a career in nonprofit communications seemed risky and niche, but Eva’s experience in the Dornsife Washington DC semester program helped her find this specific, gratifying path.

Maddy graduated in 2018 with a Bachelors in Political Science and Theater (Acting). While in DC, she interned as a Press and Communications intern for Rep. Jeff Denham and Rep. Mimi Walters in the House of Representatives. These internships gave her the connections for her first job out of college at Targeted Victory, the premier conservative digital marketing agency in Washington DC, giving creative digital direction for a Fortune 50 company and leading the digital efforts for three battleground seats in Orange County for the 2020 cycle. Maddy credits the Dornsife program with her success post-grad, “There is no way I would have ended up in DC had it not been for this program. I gained confidence in myself, my abilities, and knew I needed to pursue a career in political communications and campaigns. There’s no better place to do that than here”.

Isabella graduated in 2021 with a B.A. in International Relations and M.A. in Environmental Studies. While in Washington she interned at the Wilson Center to research environmental security with the Honorable Sherri Goodman.  Through the USC Dornsife in Washington DC semester program, Isabella gained greater clarity on what environmental topics she wants to focus her career and degree on. She credits the program for her new friends, mentor, and career. Isabella was selected as a 2021 Presidential Management Fellow and is now working for the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Climate Adaptation Science Center.