Lorato Anderson, a current MS in Higher Education Administration and Policy (MSHE) student, began as a full-time student with the program in fall 2015 after studying, working, and living in San Diego, California. In her internship at the Buffett Institute of Global Engagement, Anderson works with the Global Engagement Fellows Program and collaborates with her supervisor, Emory Erker-Lynch (Program Manager, Undergraduate Initiatives, Buffett Institute of Global Engagement), to research and design a certificate program in human rights and international development.
According to Anderson, her background in curriculum design and research has helped her in her internship, but she still finds it challenging. Anderson commented, “I’m happy I knew a bit about curriculum design before starting at Buffett, but this internship has been a huge learning process. I get to use what I know about design and apply it to fields I haven’t worked in before. I’m learning about human rights and development across the globe, and spend most of my time researching what other schools are doing in that field and adjusting it to match Northwestern and Buffett’s learning goals.”
The ability to interact with undergraduates has also been a positive experience for Anderson. “I absolutely love the undergraduate fellows. ... It’s been great setting up career development events for them, and getting feedback about what works and what doesn’t work." Anderson is also excited about the potential for innovation in the internship and shared, “To be honest, I was a little nervous when I learned I’d be helping create something new. Emory has given me a ton of guidance and materials to work with, but there are elements of both curricula I’m working on that I’m coming up with myself. ... I can’t wait to see where the certificate program goes in the coming months.”
Anderson's internship with Buffett was the result of her participation in MSHE's Preview Northwestern Days 2015 where admitted students visit campus to learn more about the program and interview for potential internships. To learn more about MSHE's internship opportunities, contact us at ms-highered@northwestern.edu.