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Not yet a senior in college and Marquis Scholar Anna Swanby ’09 (Oakdale, N.Y.) is already living her dream. An international affairs major, she spent this past semester studying and interning with the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, and is currently interning at Project Enterprise in New York City.
“Before these experiences, I knew I had a passion for government, economics, and the international community, but these internships have allowed me to see that I am truly able to make a difference with my passion,” Swanby says. “Seeing the differences between these two organizations, a non-profit versus a for-profit, has been really eye-opening. These experiences have molded my future goals, and assured me that this is what I truly want to do and that my desires will become reality.”
Project Enterprise strives to support and develop entrepreneurs and small businesses in under-resourced communities around New York City by providing access to business loans, business development services, and networking opportunities. Currently, Swanby is developing a sponsorship proposal for Aetna Insurance Agency.
While in Strasbourg, Swanby worked with the Pompidou Group within the Council of Europe. The group is a global organization that works to prevent drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking in member countries. She performed research for a proposed information technology communications system, which would allow the group’s members to efficiently share information regarding drug prevention and policies.
After completing the semester, Swanby was selected to attend the Pompidou Group’s 61st Meeting of Permanent Correspondents as a formal member of the secretariat representing the Council of Europe. This meeting brings together member countries to discuss various proposals and the status of the Pompidou Group. At the meeting’s conclusion, Swanby was selected to write a summary report for the conference to be published and distributed to all member states.
Upon graduation, Swanby anticipates working for a microfinance organization like Project Enterprise, whether in the United States or abroad, for a few years before attending graduate school for economic development and international finance.
“I hope to fuse the aspects of policy-making that I learned through the Council of Europe with the community economic development strategies from Project Enterprise to make a difference not only through economics, but by reformulating the policies we use in the United States and in the international community,” says Swanby.