Kaitlin Buelow ‘26, Majors: German, English Literature
Government Relations Intern
Kaitlin spent her summer interning at Bread for the World in Washington, D.C., where she encountered both professional and personal challenges. As a newcomer to the world of D.C. advocacy, Kaitlin initially felt disconnected due to her different background from her co-workers and supervisors. Despite the diversity around her, she struggled to find common ground in casual conversations with coworkers. However, when she connected with regional advocacy leaders Florence French and Nicole Schmidt, Kaitlin found a shared passion for fighting hunger that helped her build meaningful relationships.
While working at the D.C. office, Kaitlin began to reflect on her own future and her desire to make an impact. She recognized that being in D.C. wasn’t the only way to help make positive change in the world, nor the place where she’d be most effective in doing so. Instead, she decided to focus on the tangible, local effects of policy on communities like hers back home. This realization led her to pursue Education courses in her final year at Lawrence and work toward her teaching license.
Despite shifting her focus, Kaitlin’s time at Bread for the World was transformative. She improved her writing skills, with a piece published in Bread’s Institute Insights, and worked on her professional communication abilities. Whether working independently or as part of a team, Kaitlin learned to adapt, reconnect after miscommunications, and persevere through challenges. Kaitlin mentioned “My experience at Bread has not simply opened doors to me, but given me the tools to open them for myself.”
This internship was made possible through generous donor funding, which supports students in gaining real-world experience without the stress of balancing summer expenses. Hoping to intern next summer? Schedule an appointment at the Career Center and we can help you! The summer internship funding application will open in early January, after we get back from break.
Economics and Business Analytics double major and a Data Science minor at Lawrence University as well as an Event Coordinator at Pan Asian Organization and Social Media Manager at LU Data Science Club. Connect with Nadika in LinkedIn
