Title: Student Spotlight: Anaga and Kavya
Did you know that 95% of MSFS students intern over the summer? But what about the remaining 5%? One other popular option is enhancing language abilities. Ability to converse in foreign languages is essential to a successful career in international affairs. Therefore, proficiency in English and one other language is a program requirement here at MSFS. In addition to language learning opportunities through the program, some students opt to engage in outside language programs over the summer. Anaga Krishna and Kavya Sankhavaram both traveled to South Korea this summer to enhance their Korean skills. Learn more about Anaga and Kavya and their experiences below.
Anaga Krishna (MSFS ’23)
Anaga Krishna is a second-year GPS student focusing on issues related to the Korean Peninsula, immigration, and education. Her past work experiences include internships with the US State Department in Washington DC and Rome, the Think Tanks and Civil Societies program at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Department of International Relations at Symbiosis University, India. She hopes to work in the NGO or private sector in areas like refugee education or the internationalization of higher education. If she decides to pursue her regional concentration, she would love to work on foreign policy issues related to North Korea from a US, South Korea, China, and Japan perspective.
Anaga volunteered with Freedom Speakers International as an English mentor for North Korean refugees living in Seoul. She helped with English speech writing, pronunciation, and vocabulary. She also attended a six-week Korean language program at Korea University. Besides her daily classes, the university engaged students in various activities, including Taekwondo, Korean cooking, a K-Pop flash mob, and a Lotte World amusement park trip. She hopes to go back to Seoul to research and work on North-South Korea issues from a South Korean perspective.
Kavya Sankhavaram (MSFS/MBA ’23)
Kavya Sankhavaram is a third-year MSFS/MBA student in the GPS concentration. She is interested in security issues in Northeast Asia and US regional relationships. Her past work experiences include three years in Japan on the JET program and internships with the Mansfield Foundation and the Japan Society. She is also passionate about peer education, working as a teaching and research assistant within the Business School. She hopes to work in the Foreign Service upon graduation.
Kavya completed a 10-week intensive Korean Language program at Yonsei University. She also hopes to return to Seoul for security-related studies or research.