Potter College News

WKU student Jody Dahmer of Fisherville, a junior Honors College and Chinese Flagship Program student with majors in Political Science and International Business, has been awarded a prestigious internship in Washington, D.C., with the Department of State’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs in the Office of Regional Security Policy. The Bureau works with issues such as counter-terrorism, military relations and human rights across Asia.

WKU student Jody Dahmer has been awarded a prestigious internship in Washington, D.C., with the Department of State’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs in the Office of Regional Security Policy.

Dahmer’s initial idea of government work came from the media and popular culture, and he did not think it was for him. However, through his involvement with the Chinese Flagship Program, spending this past summer working with the Taiwan-United States Sister Relations Alliance ambassadorial program, and working closely with Michael McClellan, WKU’s Diplomat-in-Residence, Dahmer began to develop a new perspective.

“I realized that being a Foreign Service Officer might be the career path I am looking for after graduation,” he said. “I applied to the East Asian and Pacific Bureau because they deal with a range of issues over the entire East Asian region — from human trafficking to military. To be able to have a direct hand in shaping global policy is something that is almost beyond words.”

Scott Lasley, professor in the Department of Political Science and Dahmer’s academic advisor, agreed that Dahmer may have found his professional fit. “Jody is particularly well suited for the State Department internship,” Dr. Lasley said. “In addition to a high level of intellectual curiosity, he has almost unlimited energy. Not only does the internship program benefit from a highly qualified intern, Jody has an ideal temperament for ensuring the experience is valuable.”

McClellan echoed Dr. Lasley’s sentiments and added Dahmer’s internship is “a superb opportunity” and “reflects the quality of students that WKU is producing.”

“Whether a State Department internship is domestic or abroad, it’s a fantastic professional opportunity and each one will have its own unique advantages,” McClellan said.

Dahmer is excited to continue connecting his internship experiences with his academic and professional goals.

About the Chinese Flagship Program at WKU: CFP is a federally funded grant program for undergraduate students. Students begin the program with little to no exposure to Chinese language or culture with the goal of reaching a superior level of language proficiency by graduation. Students spend an intensive amount of time in language immersion courses during the semester and enroll in study abroad and study away programs during breaks. Their final capstone year is spent studying and completing an internship in China. For information, contact Jennifer Markin at (270) 745-2764.

About the Diplomat-in-Residence Program at WKU: The Diplomat-in-Residence programs seeks to mentor students interested in international careers, especially in government and diplomacy; support their efforts to obtain internships in Washington and abroad with the federal government – especially the Department of State and other foreign affairs agencies; and to be a resource for WKU and Kentucky high schools on foreign affairs issues and diplomacy. For information, contact Michael McClellan at michael.mcclellan@wku.edu.