by Michael Peel | Oct 20, 2025 | Internship Experiences, Undergraduate Students
This past summer, sophomore Liam Knotek took his passion for international security to Washington, D.C., where he interned with The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security. Though early in his academic journey, Liam quickly immersed himself in the fast-paced world of defense policy research and analysis.
Working under Robert Peters, a senior fellow and prominent voice in nuclear deterrence policy, Liam contributed to projects examining the future of America’s tactical nuclear arsenal. The experience built on his coursework in the School of Diplomacy, particularly an early research paper on nuclear deterrence that first sparked his interest in the subject, and helped him better understand the complex policy debates shaping U.S. national security strategy.
During his internship, Liam and his fellow interns also conducted research on topics such as AUKUS, a partnership between Australia, United Kingdom and the United States, and missile defense systems in Israel, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific. He co-authored two op-eds with his supervisors, gaining valuable experience in policy writing and sharpening his ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines. Through this work, he strengthened his analytical skills and developed a deeper appreciation for how think tanks influence the policy conversation in Washington.
Outside of his internship, Liam remains an active member of the Seton Hall community. He writes for the Diplomatic Envoy, where he continues to refine his writing and analysis of global issues, and he has represented the university in two Chinese speech competitions under the guidance of Professor Dongdong Chen. Beyond the classroom, Liam enjoys training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, finding that the discipline and focus it requires complement his academic pursuits.
Looking ahead, Liam hopes to pursue a career in the military and later in cybersecurity, fields that combine his interests in national security, technology, and global strategy. His experience at The Heritage Foundation gave him a firsthand look at the junction of research and policy and reaffirmed his commitment to serving and protecting U.S. interests at home and abroad.
The School of Diplomacy congratulates Liam on his accomplishments and thanks him for representing Seton Hall with excellence, intellectual curiosity, and drive.
by Michael Peel | Oct 14, 2025 | Graduate Students, Internship Experiences
This spring and summer, second-year graduate student Michael Peel brought his classroom learning into practice as an intern with the U.S. Department of Commerce. Pursuing a master’s degree in International Relations with specializations in Foreign Policy Analysis and International Economics & Development, Michael joined the Department’s Commercial Service Branch in Newark, New Jersey, where he gained firsthand experience supporting U.S. companies in the global marketplace.
Working closely with trade specialists, Michael stepped into his role during a particularly turbulent time in the federal government. As staff transitions left offices short-handed, he assisted trade specialists in taking on new responsibilities and ensuring that client companies continued to receive critical support. His daily responsibilities included conducting market research, pursuing foreign sales leads, drafting WIN statements for Congress, and helping U.S. businesses expand their operations overseas. Michael also worked extensively with financial services companies, an experience that helped him secure a government affairs internship in Washington, D.C., with MFA this coming fall and spring.
One of the highlights of Michael’s internship came early, when he was assigned a complex and high-stakes task. A U.S. company was entering into arbitration with a European partner over the supply of orthodontic equipment. The American side wanted proceedings in New Jersey, while the European side insisted on hosting them abroad. Michael was tasked with finding a suitable arbitration location in Europe that would satisfy both parties. To solve this, he researched European cities with strong orthodontic industries as well as reputations for reliable international arbitration. His analysis identified several cities where these factors aligned, and he presented his findings to his supervisors and both companies. The project not only showcased his research and problem-solving skills but also gave him a direct window into the complexities of international negotiation.
Reflecting on his experience, Michael emphasized how the internship allowed him to connect theory to practice, deepening his understanding of how international economics and trade policy shape real-world outcomes. He also noted how navigating such responsibilities in a transitional period at the Department sharpened his adaptability and resilience skills he knows will serve him well as he advances in his career.
After graduating in May, Michael plans to remain in Washington, D.C., to pursue opportunities in government affairs and international trade policy. His long-term career goals lie at the intersection of foreign policy, and economics, where he hopes to continue bridging the gap between public and private sector interests in the international arena. Michael credits the School of Diplomacy for preparing him to succeed in a professional environment that demands both critical thinking and practical skills.
by Michael Peel | Sep 29, 2025 | Internship Experiences, Undergraduate Students
We would like to highlight one of our students and his accomplishments as an intern for the U.S. Department of State in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. James Murray is a senior in the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, where he is working on his B.S. in International Economics and International Relations. James is from Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, and he is involved in several organizations over the course of his time at Seton Hall, including the Diplomatic Envoy, where he has been a frequent writer and held an executive board position as the Opinion Section Editor, and The Global Current as a frequent on-air guest analyst. James is also the president and co-founder of the Zero Chains Initiative, a student-led organization dedicated to partnering with communities and international organizations to combat human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and child exploitation. In addition, he is pursuing a minor in Russian language, and his leadership has extended beyond the classroom, as evidenced by his former membership in the Buccino Leadership Institute and his current role as a contributing member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.
This past spring, James brought these experiences to Washington, D.C., where he worked in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the Department of State. His responsibilities included a wide range of substantive policy work, from coordinating diplomatic cable communications on nuclear interdiction initiatives to drafting the 2025 Congressional Report on the transfer of sensitive technology. He also played a key role in organizing tours for the State Department intern cohort, escorting foreign delegations, conducting visa reviews with nonproliferation implications, and providing detailed briefings to senior leadership.
Reflecting on his time in Washington, James shared:
“Working for the U.S. Department of State was an unforgettable experience, allowing me to grow both professionally and as a person overall. During my time in Washington, I learned the significance of the intersection of American security and foreign policy, and I will forever appreciate my opportunity to make our country safer and more prosperous.”
Beyond his internship, James has pursued independent research on U.S. semiconductor reshoring, analyzing the economic and security implications of reducing reliance on China and Taiwan.
Looking ahead, James plans to attend graduate school, applying to programs in public policy, intelligence, and conflict negotiation in New Jersey, New York, and Washington, D.C. James hopes to build a career that allows him to combine his passions for foreign policy negotiations, national security with the applications of technology and natural resources. James Murray’s accomplishments are a testament to the dedication, leadership, and global perspective that define Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations.
by Michael Peel | Sep 17, 2025 | Internship Experiences, Undergraduate Students
Anna Lulkin, a Spring 2025 School of Diplomacy and International Relations graduate, spent the Fall 2024 semester interning at the White House. She majored in international relations and minored in Italian, and worked in the Office of Administration’s Personnel Security Division.
With guidance from her professors, New York native Lulkin successfully navigated a rigorous interview process and secured a position in the Executive Office of the President. A dream come true, the experience aligned with her passion for national security and her desire to serve her country.
During the semester, she worked in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, a secure area where electronic devices are prohibited. Her responsibilities included supporting the personnel security team, reviewing and managing sensitive documentation, and assisting with clearance processes. She also helped maintain and prepare records related to security investigations and clearance statuses.
A highlight of her internship was the weekly speaker series organized by the White House Internship Program. These events gave her the chance to network with senior White House staff and policymakers, and even meet the President and Chief of Staff. Reflecting on the program, Lulkin shared, “Besides the day-to-day tasks, the White House Internship Program embraces everyone’s unique background. They care so much that we are all from different backgrounds and want to explore different fields within political science. It was a great experience.”
In addition to her internship, Lulkin earned credits through classes at the United Nations Foundation. She says her semester in Washington opened new doors and credits Seton Hall as pivotal to her success. “If I had not come here, I would not have been able to intern at the White House,” she said. “The coursework in the School of Diplomacy was so important because it gave me a background in security. I took classes in global health, bioterrorism, conflict and security, and international law that prepared me for this internship.”
After graduating in May, Lulkin plans to attend law school to further her career in public service. With previous experience in Congress and at the Suffolk County Courthouse, she has now worked in all three branches of government. “Each role gave me valuable, hands-on experience, but the White House provided an inside look at our nation’s government.”
Lulkin’s journey shows how Diplomacy students can thrive by seizing opportunities. Her dedication reflects the School’s high standards and the role of driven individuals in shaping the future of public service.
by Robert Case | Oct 31, 2024 | Internship Experiences, Undergraduate Students
My name is Charlotte Sens, and I am a Diplomacy and International Relations major with minors in Asian Area Studies and Data Visualization. This summer I am interning with the International Rescue Committee in their Workforce Development taskforce, finding work opportunities for refugees mainly coming from Haiti and the Middle East (Palestine and Syria). I mainly craft resumes and apply to jobs for our clients, while also completing intake meetings and doing data entry. I am communicating with many different people in different languages throughout the day, which occasionally presents challenges to clear communication. To expand on this, some of our clients will move out of state and fail to tell our organization, distancing themselves from the services we provide. Other times, I will organize a meeting with a client, but my translation will be slightly incorrect and the conversation will become redundant and frustrating as we both fail to understand each other. However, through this frustration, I have learned to be patient and how to productively address client frustrations while moving forward with our own goal to find them a job.
Refugeeism and migration are significant public concerns within the international community and domestically. This internship has brought to light systematic disadvantages that refugees face in coming to the United States. While I had previously learned of the refuge process in a previous class (ETW: Refugees, Religion, and Politics and International Relations of Southeast Asia), it is very different seeing it in practice. Many of our clients do not speak English or do not have substantial employment history or education or access to a car. As I try to find jobs to accommodate them, I find that many simple, entry-level jobs have unfair requirements far outside the qualifications of my clients. I find that my coursework with the school of diplomacy has helped remedy this, as I have been able to utilize writing and research skills to find businesses that will accommodate my clients, and the resources provided by the school of diplomacy has allowed me to cultivate professional skills so that I can confidently conduct myself both when I’m in the office and when dealing with clients and employers.
The professional skills I have learned throughout this experience, including professional communication and conduct as well as data entry and reporting skills, have made me more confident to enter the work force post-grad. I have also become more familiar with the operations of the migration and refugee system within the United States, and I can bring this knowledge to future experiences. I would highly recommend this internship to other students as it is highly rewarding work, and every task serves to aid refugees and improve their livelihoods. While it may be frustrating or demoralizing at times, it is a very positive experience to be able to help those in need.
by Robert Case | Oct 18, 2024 | Internship Experiences, Undergraduate Students
My name is Annie Hebel, and I am a Senior studying Diplomacy and International Relations, Spanish, and Journalism at Seton Hall University. Currently, I am interning with the Refugee Support Services (RSS) division of the International Rescue Committee in Elizabeth, NJ. In this role, I directly support a caseworker in her work with newly arrived families with some form of humanitarian parole, mainly from Haiti and Cuba. My daily tasks often include observing client intakes, filing public benefits applications, and assisting with client communication in Spanish and Haitian Creole.
The most interesting part of my job is getting to learn about the experiences of my clients and helping alleviate them out of difficult situations. Many people who enter the U.S. with humanitarian parole face a significant backlog of time before they can start to work or receive benefits, which often leaves them vulnerable to economic or financial exploitation. The support offered at the IRC helps prevent migrants from falling victim to this by providing a space for them to ask questions and learn about all of the options available to them for support.
This has been a particularly valuable experience thus far because, though I have gotten experience in various other forms of immigration work, I have never worked in a direct support role. Because I want to go into immigration, this is an invaluable experience. I am learning so much about how to respond to direct needs of migrants and develop relationships with organizations that can provide aid. I am also learning so much about how to communicate with clients who speak little to no English, improving my intercultural
communication skills. However, this has also been the biggest challenge – most of our clientele speaks Haitian Creole, which I am only just beginning to learn. It has proven a challenge to be able to fully support these clients and also adjust to using translation services.
Through my internship, I have confirmed that while I want to continue to pursue a career
in the immigration space, I feel as though I am not the most qualified for a direct support, social work-focused role and instead would prefer to work in the legal area of immigration. However, this position has been invaluable to help me develop skills that will translate, such as intercultural communication and a chance to learn and practice Creole. Overall, I would recommend this internship, especially for people who are interested in working with immigrant populations.
-Andrea Hebel, ‘24
by Alondra Duncan-Belford | May 31, 2023 | Graduate Students, Internship Experiences
Hello! My name is Christina Grossen, and I am a recent Master’s graduate of Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations. I was a research/data intern coding cultural heritage sites in Ukraine. While my internship was through the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI), I worked directly with a team for the Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab, built on a partnership between the Smithsonian and the Virginia Museum of Natural History. Fortunately, I found this internship through the Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) program offered by the US Department of State.
In the Fall of 2021, in Dr. Huddleston’s Causes of War class, I read Dr. Ron Hassner’s (2008) article, “To Halve and Hold: Conflicts over Sacred Space and the Problem with Indivisibility.” Dr. Hassner examines the causes and characteristics of conflict over sacred spaces, which opened my eyes to the vital role of cultural spaces in conflict. For many, cultural spaces are used as a unifying identity source, but for others, their destruction serves the same purpose. I wanted to explore the impact of cultural heritage sites as culture itself plays such a defining role in understanding peace and stability in conflict situations.
Unlike other internships and roles I have held in the past, I had a singular focus for SCRI – to code lists of cultural heritage sites. Every few weeks, I was given a new list of sites to go through and mine for information as deeply as possible for those sites. Sometimes the preliminary information contained names and geographic coordinates; other times, it simply included coordinates. Then using multiple online maps, I examined the site and look to find whether it is correctly listed, was used by the military, is lootable, and whether or not the site has a tourist function. Following critical information about the site, I determined whether it is listed on several tourist sites. I do this for every site assigned, and if questions or concerns arise, I reach out to my team lead and supervisor. Though I enjoy the investigative nature of the work, I sometimes find it challenging due to language barriers. The focus of this internship changes every year depending on the international climate. When I applied, I did not know I would look specifically at Ukraine. However, because of current world events, leaders and institutions must research current happenings and potential threats. Because I lack Russian and Ukrainian language knowledge, I had to problem-solve and locate helpful tools to alleviate some of my issues. This internship provided precise insight into what I am looking for in a career. While I enjoy the consistency of this work, I realized I desire more diversity in my workflow. Part of the reason I accepted this internship was to develop the data analytics skills I started exploring in my research methods class. This internship has afforded me that opportunity.
I recommend this internship to others interested in strengthening one specific skill. SCRI focuses on a niche area of study, and not everyone may enjoy the intense focus on coding and data analysis. However, because this internship is part of the VSFS, other departments offer training and informational sessions to help you develop additional skills and knowledge during the experience. I am thankful for the opportunity and what I learned from this internship!
by Alondra Duncan-Belford | Feb 27, 2023 | Internship Experiences, Undergraduate Students
My name is Hamzah Khan and I am a junior in the School of Diplomacy majoring in International Relations and minoring in History, Arabic, and Economics. I interned at the Council on American Islamic Relations-NJ Chapter, the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the country as a legal research intern. In my role, I supported the organization’s civil rights department with case intakes and researched laws and government policies in New Jersey that impact the Muslim community. I also worked with the Communications department in researching and writing op-eds, advocating for policies that impact the Muslim community such as free speech laws, Islamophobia in local governments, and religious rights for incarcerated Muslims.
One project I am proud of is our anti-Islamophobia campaign in Edison, New Jersey. Earlier this summer, the Indian Business Association held a parade in Edison for India’s Independence Day but excluded most Indian minority groups like Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs. They also ran an offensive Islamophobic float of a bulldozer which Hindu Nationalist governments in India use to demolish the homes and businesses of Muslims. They also invited a renowned hatemonger from India’s BJP to be the grand marshal of the parade. The local community in Edison was shocked by this event and CAIR spearheaded a multi-organization condemnation and pressure campaign on the local mayors to apologize for attending the event and promise further screening of parades before issuing permits. We also put enough pressure on the Indian Business Association that they publicly apologized for the offensive imagery at the parade and agreed to work with local officials to prevent this from happening in the future.
I also worked on multiple op-eds criticizing the state of New Jersey’s policy of defunding investments in companies that exercise a boycott of Israel on humanitarian grounds. These op-eds criticized this policy’s coercive nature, which stifles the free speech rights of individuals and corporations who want to exercise a peaceful boycott of a country to advocate for human rights. These op-eds were published in renowned New Jersey and national outlets like NorthJersey.com under USA Today, and the Palestinian magazine, Mondoweiss. The opportunity to get published was big for me because I am interested in journalism as well and passionate about issues such as these.
These are two instances where international issues correlated directly with our work as a civil rights organization because we advocate for human rights not only in NJ but internationally as well including India and Israel. I had the opportunity to do research into international human rights as they relate to those two countries and learn more about the geopolitics of the Middle East and South Asia. This internship has allowed me to combine things I have learned in classes like Comparative Foreign Policy and Public International Law to get on hand experience in the field of civil rights advocacy both domestically and abroad. I also got to enhance my research skills which I gained from classes like Investigating IR and DiploLab. I am interested in pursuing a career in law or journalism in the future and this internship helped me to combine both disciplines while also gaining valuable insights by working with experienced lawyers and journalists.
