Alicia D.

Tran
16919 Wilton Pl. Torrance, CA 90504
Tran.aliciadana@gmail.com | (310) 431-5878

Statement of Interest

July 25th, 2017

Department of State- Agency Wide

Washington DC, District of Columbia

To whom it may concern,

I am a senior at the University of California Santa Barbara writing to apply for the 2017-2018 Virtual
Student Foreign Service (VSFS) eInternship. The three projects which have sparked my interest include
an English language reading club for Libyans, the EducationUSA Armenia internship, and the Supporting
humanitarian protection and assistance programs in Asia project. While these initiatives encompass a
wide variety of social and international interests, they directly address the area in which I am most
dedicated to improving: education. My long term goal involves strengthening higher education systems,
both locally and internationally, through increasing access and inclusivity. An internship with the
Department of State would be a great springboard in achieving that goal.

My passion for education stems from working with local youth in the Santa Barbara community. In the
past three years I have directly engaged Latino/a high school students with English language curricula and
college application mentorship. This experience has shown me that all students have the potential to
pursue higher education when given both guidance and encouragement. It also helped me develop strong
public speaking skills, a deep understanding for the unique obstacles diverse students face, and a genuine
joy for learning. For these reasons, I believe I am aptly qualified to help international students- through
vibrant cultural exchange- navigate the higher education system in America.

In addition, I have excelled at several internship positions aligned with the goals of the VSFS projects I
am applying for. First, I am currently the student representative on the University of Californias
committee on education policy. In this role I represent over 200,000 students in the state of California as
an advocate for diverse student interests. More recently, I spent the past summer as a policy
communications intern at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Here, I developed a keen sense for
understanding multi-perspective issues. I believe all these experiences have allowed me to recognize the
complexity of education in America, and the steps we should take to bolster diplomacy and cultural
understanding.

After reviewing the U.S Department of States many open eInternship positions, I feel I am most able to
add value to education initiatives. My professional and academic experiences have instilled a strong work
ethic, a passion for communicating with others, and a love for sharing knowledge. I look forward to
speaking with you in the near future, and appreciate your time and consideration.

My Best,
Alicia D. Tran