Beyond the Books: Applying a CMIST Education in the Real World
By Caroline Fixter
Summer is more than a break from the classroom. For many ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ (ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ) students, it's an opportunity to apply the ideas, questions, and skills developed on campus in a real-world setting. From government and public policy to emerging technology, national security, and consulting, students studying in the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST) use their summers to explore new opportunities and shape their career paths. While their workplaces and responsibilities varied, the experiences of the following six CMIST students illustrate the range of possibilities for connecting learning on campus with experiences beyond it.
Gaining a unique perspective of policymaking, Sahana Patel spent her summer interning in US Pittsburgh office. Working across different policy areas showed Patel how technology and national security increasingly intersect, and how understanding both requires more than expertise in a single field. As a political science, security, and technology major, she used her internship to build upon her academic studies at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ. The experience demonstrated the value of having an interdisciplinary background for tackling complex policy issues.
Through constituent services and conversations with leaders across government, industry, and academia, Patel saw how different perspectives come together to shape policy. “One of the most rewarding parts of my internship has been seeing how policy is translated into real-world impact," she said. A standout memory of her summer was experiencing this intersection firsthand at the Pennsylvania Defense & Innovation Summit. The event brought together conversations about national security, technology, and economic development, three areas that often overlap in the work Patel hopes to pursue.
With a similar focus on policymaking, Sabrina Courtis brought her passion for law and public service to Capitol Hill as an intern with the . As an international relations and political science major, she put classroom fundamentals, such as policy analysis, research, and writing, directly into practice. She also appreciated the opportunity to serve in the office of her home state of Maryland, gaining a deeper understanding of legislative operations and constituent service.
By supporting both foreign affairs and judiciary portfolios, Courtis examined how a congressional office navigates domestic and international priorities while legal oversight intersects with foreign policy. “Working in these portfolios unlocked new areas of interest that I look forward to exploring through future coursework and professional experiences,” she reflected, emphasizing how the experience deepened her understanding of governance and built on her foundation at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ.
As an economics and politics major, Zakareya Hamed spent his summer interning with , a DC-area management consulting firm that works with nonprofits and philanthropic organizations. His work included strategic planning, global expansion, and organizational restructuring, connecting his classroom studies to real-world organizational decisions.
A key moment of Hamed’s summer was traveling to Amman, Jordan, where he advised the Human Development Fund as it revised its global programs strategy and explored opening a new Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional office. “I had an insightful time building on my interests across consulting and venture innovation,” Hamed said. Continuing with Mezoui Consulting Group part time this fall, Hamed is building on his summer experience and gaining further exposure to organizational and institutional leadership.
David Glick’s affinity for security and international affairs led him to apply to the Friedman Fellowship to spend his summer in Washington, DC. Working as both an Asia Pacific Security intern at the and as a Security Studies Fellow with the , he applied what he learned in his political science, security, and technology major to challenges of international security.
Thanks to his fellowship, Glick could fully focus on his internships while sharpening his analytical skills and building relationships with professionals and peers working in the field. As part of the summer cohort, he enjoyed being among other ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ students immersed in the Washington policymaking and international relations community. “The value of the Friedman Fellowship goes far beyond its financial component,” he said, noting that the generous support he received from the Friedman family and CMIST provided a community that helped him take the next step toward his career goals.
The impact of a CMIST education extends beyond its major programs. Undergraduates minoring in international relations and political science similarly brought their coursework into the field this summer, applying policy lenses and exploring technology’s role in new domains. Justin Lee, a business administration and data science major, took a research-focused approach with an internship at the (ABF) in Chicago, using data to examine how laws develop. The project pushed Lee beyond technical analysis to consider the broader relationship between policy and practice, noting, “Getting to design that pipeline to determine the relationship between law in the books and law in action has been the most rewarding part.” Meanwhile, behavioral economics major Tehya Lim focused on regional economic growth while interning at Pittsburgh’s (RIDC). Visiting RIDC properties—such as the PennSTART autonomous vehicle test track and Mill 19 in Hazelwood Green—gave Lim a closer look at how technology shapes local communities while introducing her to a whole new career trajectory. “This internship has given me the opportunity to explore a field I had little prior exposure to,” she explained.
Whether they focused on policy or research, regional economic development, international security, or strategic advising, these students' summer experiences highlight one of ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ’s core strengths: An interdisciplinary education empowers students to apply their interests across a wide range of professional settings and pursue a variety of career paths. By putting their education into practice, testing their ideas, and gaining clarity on where they want to go next, CMIST students show how the skills developed at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ extend well beyond the classroom and provide a strong foundation for understanding how technology, policy, and society come together in the real world.
Image 1, clockwise: Justin Lee (right) with fellow Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) students, photo of Amman, Jordan, taken by Zakareya Hamed during his internship, ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Pittsburgh campus, the Mill 19 RIDC property in Pittsburgh taken by Tehya Lim during a site visit, photo of Senator Von Hollen giving remarks outside the Capitol taken by Sabrina Courtis during her internship; Image 2: Sahana Patel attends the Pennsylvania Defense & Innovation Summit; Image 3, l to r: Senator Chris Von Hollen shakes hands with Sabrina Courtis, Courtis stands in front of the Capitol; Image 4: A launch event in Amman, Jordan, during Zakareya Hamed's internship with Mezoui Consulting Group; Image 5: David Glick; Image 6, l to r: Justin Lee, Tehya Lim