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Name: Kyle Wilgus ’22
Hometown: Delaware, Ohio
Majors: International Studies and Economics
OWU Connection Experience: Wesleyan in Washington internship
Wilgus is spending fall semester in the nation’s capital working as an intern in the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism.
His experience is part of OWU’s Wesleyan in Washington internship program. The intensive, full-time experience matches students with internship placements that reflect their interests and professional goals. Program participants earn class credit for the off-campus experience.
His D.C. expenses are being fully funded through an OWU Baran Fellowship funded by alumnus and lawyer Jan W. Baran, Class of 1970.
“I chose this OWU Connection experience because, in the future, I would like to pursue a career in public service, and this opportunity allows me to gain professional experience in the U.S. government and the public sector. I also pursued this opportunity because this experience allowed me to network with high-level government officials and working professionals in my desired field.”
“Through my position in the U.S. government, I have been given the opportunity to participate in high-level multilateral meetings that featured high-ranking U.S. and foreign diplomats from more than 35 different countries.
“This experience has been highly gratifying and has allowed me to see the inner workings of American foreign policy and how it is developed.”
“At Ohio Wesleyan, and through my major, the courses often focus and prioritize the theoretical aspects of politics and international relations. Through my work at the State Department, I am able to see these theories and principles in action and see how they affect American Foreign Policy.
“Also, through this Internship, my experience has helped me solidify my future career path. Before this internship, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in international relations, but I was unsure what I wanted to do within this field.
“Because of my internship at the State Department, I have realized that I want to pursue a career in nuclear non-proliferation.”
“Living in D.C. has been a fantastic experience! I have been able to attend a lot of different events and experiences that have allowed me to expand my knowledge professionally and academically. COVID-19 really has not affected my experience while in Washington because of the low number of cases present in the city and the increased safety precautions undertaken by the city.”
“I chose Ohio Wesleyan because of the fantastic International Studies and Economics programs that would allow me to pursue fantastic professional opportunities, like this internship.”
“After graduation, I plan to pursue a master’s degree in international relations that focuses on security studies and nonproliferation. With this degree, I hope to work in the public sector either at the U.S. Department of State or the Department of Defense.”