Noelia Alverez

Major: Artificial Intelligence ; Minor: Information Studies 

Technology Project Intern, The Bipartisan Policy Center

1.) How did you learn about this internship opportunity? 

 I learned this internship through the Department of Philosophy’s academic manager, and I also saw former Center for C-SPAN Scholarship and Engagement interns work at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

2.) How has your internship helped build your skills and clarify your career goals?  How do you apply your Liberal Arts skills to your internship?  

I initially never thought of law school until after my internship. The technology team at the Bipartisan Policy Center were truly phenomenal and cared about my personal career goals. I highly recommend an internship in Washington DC because everyone wants to help you make connections and succeed. I got to connect with people in law school and received great post-grad advice. Furthermore, my liberal arts courses prepared me for my internship. The readings from my philosophy of AI courses were applicable in terms of AI and the workforce. I even took an intro to screenwriting course in the summer. My associate director at the Bipartisan Policy Center gave real life examples about how screenwriting can help you become a better speech writer within the political sphere.

3.) What is a piece of advice you would give someone looking for an internship?  

Don’t be afraid to get to know your faulty and other departments at Purdue. I was able to secure my internship with the help of the Boilers Go to DC program and the Department of Philosophy. In addition, I believe my research with the Purdue’s Libraries and School of Information made me a stronger applicant. My major allows me to be flexible. I advise anyone who is interested in getting an internship with my major to curate it as it fits you. What career are you interested in exploring? Startups? Consulting? Academia? Tailor it to your needs.

4.) What specific responsibilities have you undertaken during your internship?

I mostly assisted on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s AI 101 Education Initiative backed by Google. For example, I contributed to AI definitions for an AI Fundamental Briefing presentation. The last thing I worked on was composing a list of possible speakers for an AI and agriculture webinar. I had the opportunity to see Brad Smith, Microsoft’s Vice Chair, present about AI-generated content and see Maria Ressa talk about misinformation at the Washington Post. My internship allowed me to further improve my research skills in rising technologies such as AI.

5.) In what ways has the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University supported your internship journey? How has your participating in our job-ready program specifically aided your professional development? 

Being a CLA student has been one of the greatest experiences. The faculty in the Department of Philosophy, Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement, and the Libraries and School of Information staff has supported me since the first day I enrolled at Purdue. The Boilers in DC initiative connected me with an amazing mentor through my internship search. Her guidance gave me an advantage to seek opportunities I have never thought to reach. I had the experience to tour the White House, the Smithsonian Museums, and enjoy the Fourth of July in our nation’s capital.

6.) Could you highlight a standout aspect of your experience in this program that you find particularly noteworthy? 

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