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The world of modern art comes to mind when students mention their internships at cutting-edge museums. However, Katie He ’11 feels that her internship at the Rubin Museum of Art, which collects Himalayan works from as early as the 2nd century, is just as “hip” as the more offbeat pieces held in other museums. The Rubin explores the artistic and cultural legacy of the Himalayas in a way that makes it both an art museum and a history museum. It also organizes programs and events to encourage a deeper appreciation of art in the Chelsea, New York City, community.

Andrew Steele ’10 is working at a quiet organization this summer, with fewer than 30 staff members and 10 to 12 interns. Despite the fact that it is relatively calm inside, the Center for Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC) is surrounded by the commotion of the nation’s capital. Steele says he is excited to be in a place like Washington, D.C., where bustling streets represent the constant hum of political activity.

Henok Alemayo ’10 feels connected to a very specific area of the world due to his upbringing. He is a former refugee from Ethiopia who escaped persecution during the Red Terror. His father, a suspected insurgent and rebel during the reign of a military dictator, spent four years in prison and experienced torture and death threats. After a few years, he and his family escaped to the United States. Alemayo says he cannot imagine a career unrelated to peace-making or international relief.

As an out lesbian, Rachel Rapoza ’10 cares deeply about the Human Rights Campaign, which is the largest national civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people. It is a force of more than 750,000 members nationwide, serves to protect the rights of LGBT Americans, and works diligently to ensure that these members of society are embraced as passionate and genuine human beings with great capabilities and potential. HRC is involved in political outreach campaigns as well as non-political research that raise awareness of gay and lesbian issues. They serve a broad range of groups, from elementary schools to corporations nationwide.

Every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN). This statistic is both disturbing and humbling – in the time it takes you to brush your teeth at night, yet another person has been raped, harassed, or damaged in a number of emotional and psychological ways. At the same time, this figure makes us feel powerless – what can anyone do about a crime that might be occurring hundreds of miles away? Chelsea Dilley ’10 is working at RAINN this summer, and her efforts there prove that even small contributions to a cause can span the distance between a bystander and a victim.

Michael Bethoney ’11 is a self-proclaimed “political junkie loser,” but he characterizes himself as such jocularly. He is among dozens of other interns working in Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s Commonwealth Corps Department, and they all share the same love for campaigns, grassroots organizing and other political programs. Bethoney obtained the position at the Massachusetts State House through Hamilton alumnus Mark Lilienthal ’97, who is Governor Patrick’s Director of Constituent Services.

Although she was standing only two feet away in the operating room, Caitlin Williams ’11 was unable to see to the bottom of the large hole carved in the patient's brain. Using a technique called frontal craniotomy, the surgeon was removing a three-inch section that contained a massive tumor. The procedure made an impression on Williams, who is interning this summer for the Neurological Institute of Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital. “It truly affirmed my love of medicine and my passion to be a doctor,” she said.

A “boutique” literary agency is one that is exclusive and usually very small. The name is also perfect for Amanda Nardi’s ’11 purposes – it brings together both her fondness for books and for the trendy frontier of modern fashion. She has an internship this summer at the Harvey-Klinger Literary Agency, and has been working as an assistant to Sarah Crowe, a literary agent who specializes in fashion literature and young adult novels.

Stefanie Linnan’s ’11 job this summer is to pull out her headphones and listen to music. For one of her two internships, she is responsible for tracking unsigned artists on MySpace and Purevolume. Each day she sends her manager information on five artists she likes and he gives her feedback.

The car ride from Albany to Boston was long, but worth it. As a 10-year-old, Whitney Overocker ’09 joined her mother on a trip to see a Claude Monet exhibition. Overocker remembers admiring the resplendent light that Monet cast on lily pads and haystacks and the Notre Dame cathedral. Her childhood awe transformed into an academic interest in the history of art when she took a class on Renaissance Art with John and Anne Fischer Professor in Fine Arts John McEnroe. Overocker is interning this summer at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (PGC) of Modern Art in Venice, Italy.