Mary Kate Carter, MA International Trade and Investment Policy, Class of 2020, #WeAreElliott Current Student
Mary Kate Carter is a second-year Master’s student studying International Trade & Investment Policy (now International Economic Policy) at the Elliott School, concentrating in economic policy analysis. She received her undergraduate degree from Clemson University in French & International Trade in 2018. Mary Kate is particularly interested in the effects of the digital economy on trade and investment policy. She has held several internships in the D.C. area, most recently at the Organization for International Investment and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In both roles, she assisted in international policy advocacy efforts, wrote policy updates for member companies, and organized high-level events for administration officials, foreign diplomats, and Congressional representatives. She will start a new position with the Senate Finance Committee’s trade team in September 2019. Mary Kate is also a certified group fitness instructor with experience teaching HIIT, barre, and kickboxing classes.
When did you realize you wanted an international career?
I began taking French language classes at 13 years old, so that was the beginning of my interest in international affairs. I dreamed of living abroad, strolling along the Seine, and conversing with business partners in both French and English. As time went on and I started my undergraduate coursework, my interests grew from the French language, baguettes, and the Eiffel Tower to international business and the global policies that affect business operations. I have since found my niche in trade and economics, which is why I applied to the ITIP program in the Elliott School. Washington D.C. has some of the best opportunities for an international career in the world, whether you’d like to work in business, at a non-profit, or at a government agency, which is another perk of studying at the Elliott School. I know that my studies here will help advance my career, and I have already begun to see those effects through my internships in the D.C. area.
Where do you currently work, intern or volunteer, and how does it fit in with your career goals?
I am currently an intern at the Organization for International Investment, which is a trade association representing the U.S. subsidiaries of international companies. The organization has a vocal government affairs team that advocates for tax and trade policies in the U.S. to serve its member companies’ best interests. OFII’s member companies are some of the most influential multinational corporations, and I would certainly aspire to work at one of those firms on public policy issues, both domestically and internationally. The organization has given me a great experience in a large field of policy issues, and how those policies affect companies with different interests and priorities. That has helped me distinguish which industries I feel I would be better suited to represent. Now, I hope to have a public policy role with a digital economy portfolio in the future so that I can work on the newest, most pressing issues facing technology companies.
What has been your most rewarding academic experience (i.e., in-class, with an institute/office, at an Elliott sponsored on/off-campus event) at the Elliott School and why?
My most rewarding experience at the Elliott School was also my most challenging one. Due to an internship experience where I was exposed to digital policy, I decided to enroll in a cybersecurity policy course during my second semester. I underestimated how difficult the course content would be, which is largely due to the vast number of technical jargon I did not understand. I powered through the semester, trying my best to following along in class and with the readings as well as working hard on my policy papers. At the end of the semester, the professor assigned the class a “crisis exercise” as our final exam, which would test our knowledge in a national security crisis simulation. We were given the first round of content a week before the exercise, another round two days before the exercise, and then during the exercise, we were faced with a line of questioning from our role-playing professor. Despite struggling through the course all semester, I was sharp and prepared during my crisis exercise and ended up impressing my professor and myself with how much I had learned.
What advice do you have for first-year students who are starting their internship or work experience search?
Get facetime with people! The most important aspect of job and internship searching is networking (almost everyone in D.C. will tell you that). Most of the experiences I have had have been due to connections through family, friends, and other work experiences, and those have never failed to help me out. If you have a connection to a potential employer, reach out to that connection and ask for an introduction. If you don’t already have a connection, reach out to a person from that team via LinkedIn or another method and ask if they would be willing to get coffee. Even if those contacts don’t get you the job, or even an interview, they may be helpful in the future! The majority of people will say yes to an invitation, and the more you do it, the less intimidating it will be. With all that being said, feel free to reach out to me!
Best hidden talent?
I can say the alphabet backward faster than I can say it forward.
Want to connect with current Elliott School students and alumni? Click here to see how!
Find out more about this program by creating a CustomViewbook!
Join us for an information session, RSVP here!
Click here to apply to the Elliott School!
Twitter · Facebook · Instagram
The #WeAreElliott profile series is managed by the Elliott School Office of Graduate Admissions and highlights current students to answer common questions posed by prospective, incoming, and current students. For more information on this series or to submit questions, e-mail the Office of Graduate Admissions at esiagrad@gwu.edu.
The views expressed by students profiled do not necessarily represent those of organizations they work for, are affiliated with, or the Elliott School of International Affairs.
Elliott School Office of Graduate Admissions 