WILDLIFE SOCIETY
Swati Saxena

A student from India who attended the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts as well as the National College of Aligarh in her country, Swati Saxena was pursuing a Master of Business Administration at the Women’s College of Aligarh Muslim University where she also earned a Masters degree in English in 2004 after obtaining her Bachelors degree with honors in 2002. In addition, Swati completed a teaching certificate from the Indian Association for Pre-School Education. Swati worked as a teacher at the Children’s Academy in India, and she participated in the College Debating Society where she won second-place on behalf of her university. In addition, Swati was affiliated with Help Age India, College Tour Club, and the Student Activity Fund. She and her brother Vivek Kumar applied to the Washington Internship Program in late February of 2006, and Swati requested an internship in marketing, advertising, and communications – preferably at a nonprofit organization. On April 21 Swati was accepted for an unpaid marketing internship at the Wildlife Federation. Her brother Vivek was placed at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, and WIP helped these two siblings get J1 visas. Swati arrived shortly after her brother on the Friday in July when the Washington Internship Program was holding its annual retreat – this summer at Wintergreen Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Without waiting to recover from jetlag, Swati insisted that she and Vivek board the bus immediately and attend the retreat where the two young people quickly made friends with other WIP interns from across the United States and around the world. This “can-do” attitude served Swati well whenever she needed it.

After working six-months at a full-time internship with the Wildlife Society, Swati accepted a paid internship in her secondary field: education. She earned $12 an hour at U.S. Kids beginning in mid December and working with youngsters who ranged in age from four to six. Swati and her brother lived together first in Hyattesville, Maryland and later Falls Church, Virginia. Swati’s sister, Richa Saxena, also applied to the Washington Internship Program and was placed at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services where she will begin an unpaid internship in March 2007. Richa will join Vivek and Swati so that all three members of this Indian family will be participating at once in the Washington Internship Program.

Founded in 1965, the Wildlife Society is devoted to conservation and the preservation of nature. The office in Bethesda, Maryland where Swati worked has a staff of about fourteen people. Swati reported to the director of publishing and information resources. In keeping with assignments she was given, Swati developed a marketing plan to increase revenue to cover the costs of maintaining a scientific library that entailed inventory and management costs, and she advised that schools be involved in use of this collection. The Wildlife Society also publishes an academic magazine, and Swati wrote a plan to popularize and promote the publication while covering the cost of advertising. She also wrote a memo about direct marketing through the Internet. Swati assisted with administrative aspects of maintaining the library, ranging from drafting correspondence to laminating magazine copies. She also explored the possibility of the Wildlife Society applying for government grants and increasing membership. From September 26 to 29, the Wildlife Society sponsored a major conference in Alaska. In preparation for a talk that her supervisor was to deliver, Swati edited a PowerPoint presentation, assisted with invitations and promotion, and prepared files and folders to be brought to the event. Swati was invited to attend the conference at her own expense, but in that she was working in an unpaid capacity, the cost of flying to Alaska was too high for Swati to absorb.

U.S. KIDS

At the conclusion of Swati’s internship at the Wildlife Society, she followed a lead offered by the Washington Internship and accepted a paid position at U.S. Kids. Starting in mid December, Swati began working there ten hours a day in a probationary capacity for four months, after which her childcare and teaching will be evaluated. The school is located in Washington, D.C. near New York Avenue and 14th Street. Swati joined a team of teachers, and there are usually two adults supervising each group of eight children. Swati works with preschool and kindergarten children. Swati was also accepted for a paid internship at Duplain Enterprises, Inc. – a public-relations firm and speakers’ bureau. However, remuneration was better at U.S. Kids, and Swati decided to apply her training in education this time.


WIP interns Vivek Kumar (left) and Swati Saxena (brother and sister from India) at Wintergreen Resort for WIP annual retreat, overlooking Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

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