This summer, through the help of Dr. D’Amico, Violet Benge, and Lewis McCrary of the Stephenson Institute, I had the ability to intern at a think tank in London, England. The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) is a free market based, economic policy think tank located Westminster, the center of London. It was cited as the #1 independent global think tank in the world by UPenn.
At the ASI, I was tasked with a multitude of different sorts of work. Research was where I spent much of my time in the office, going through a vast amount of different online or in person readings through the ASI’s in house library. Through this research, I aided in some of the ASI’s research papers as well as wrote posts for their blog page. In addition, I helped with some more hands-on work such as setting up their new podcast room and working the door at some of their events. The events that were held hosted some of the most prolific economic thinkers of our generation and being able to ask questions and hear their talks was beyond invaluable. From members of parliament to cabinet chairs from the US these events gave some of the best networking opportunities I have ever had. With the skills I had gained from Wabash’s networking services, I felt prepared to present and talk at these events.
I took this internship so that I could better understand my interests post-Wabash and I think that I achieved this goal. Overall, I greatly enjoyed my time at the ASI. I had the ability to flex my Wabash understanding as well as hone my work skill and interpersonal relations. Furthermore, this opportunity gave me the ability to further expand on my goal of being a global citizen. Having the ability to explore and meet people in London, one of the biggest global centers in the world, allowed me to grow in understanding and as a person. Coming from small town Indiana, the huge city was something that I found both daunting and intriguing, but I would not trade the experience for anything.
