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Why are you interested in public service and why did you apply to this internship?
I have always been interested in public service since I was young.
Since my mom was head of social action at my synagogue, my brother, sister, and I grew up viewing community service as a typical family activity. In high school, when community service hours became required, my sister and I fulfilled the requirement effortlessly. However, a lot of our friends and peers had difficulty finding meaningful ways to spend their time volunteering in the community.
This obvious disconnect led us to start a non-profit, The Opp-Guide to Community Service (www.opp-guide.com).   The Opp-Guide, modeled like the Zagat Guide, rates community service organizations in the area; however, the reviews are written solely by teens for teens in order to help match high school students with compatible community service activities. Recently, the Opp-Guide received a $10,000 grant from Best Buy, which we are using to expand the organization to other communities throughout the country. I plan on expanding the Opp-Guide to the Cambridge area this school year. I primarily applied to this internship because I love Facebook! Specifically, I enjoy the social networking capabilities of Facebook and Facebook’s greater influence on technology, science, and public policy.
Secondly, I am very interested in public policy and consumer concerns. I applied for the position hoping to learn more about the “ins and outs” of how the private sector interacts with government and the importance of developing a public partnership with private industry.

In about two sentences, please describe the main responsibilities of your internship this summer.
I multitask on a variety of projects daily.   While the Facebook D.C. Office is relatively new and small, I have been fortunate to work with highly impassioned professionals on fascinating projects, most of which are confidential. Broadly speaking, my projects address foreign and domestic issues concerning Internet privacy and cyber security. I also schedule meetings, prepare briefings, minutes of meetings, news digests, memos, conduct background research, meet with Congresspeople and other various government officials, and attend events on behalf of the office. I am also working on my own individual project preparing a Facebook “How To” Guide catered specifically for politicians and the government.


What are you working on this week?
I am mainly working on my individual project; at Facebook the interns are encouraged to work not only on daily tasks, but also our own projects that we develop with our mentors. I am currently preparing Facebook instructional materials for politicians and the government.
Have you had any “face time” with the head of the office yet? 
Because my office is very small (just my two supervisors and me) and relatively new to the area, I have the privilege of working with the heads of my office everyday.

Of the staff at the office, whose job do you think is the most   interesting? 
Both of my supervisors have equally interesting jobs and are in charge of Facebook’s Government Relations and Public Policy Department. One of my supervisors deals with legal implications stemming from being a social networking site and the other is involved with actual politicians. They both, nevertheless, have such tremendous impact within our government; I find them both of their positions equally compelling.

Have any really exciting guests/visitors come by the office recently? 
Elliot Schrage, Facebook’s Vice President of Communications and Public Policy, and Chris Kelly, Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer, and candidate for Attorney General of California, came to visit our office last week for a meeting. I have also had the opportunity to meet with various Congressmen one on one on the Hill, which is always very exciting!

Have you worked on any fun events/projects yet at your job? 
About four weeks ago (June 18th), Facebook was invited to testify as a witness in front of the House Committee of Energy and Commerce. I helped prepare and transport Facebook’s testimony and work with the C.P.O. Chris Kelly, to prep for the hearing.

In one sentence or less, tell me something you learned either from or about your job that everyone should know.
Clear your internet browser cookies every once and awhile! (You can go to google.com, log in, and view/alter the cookies that Google has placed on your computer based on your searches without you even knowing).

Have you had an experience during your internship recently that has shown you the importance of politics and public service?
While at Facebook, the questionable election in Iran occurred. It was fascinating to see how Facebook became a major factor in that election and to see how social media and social networking is changing the face of politics and the election process not just here but also around the world. I feel as though I am helping to expand democracy by allowing these new social networking tools to be used globally, especially in countries that are not familiar with democratic ideologies.