Name: Ariane Marchis-Mouren

Year: 2017

Major: Economics, Minor: International Studies

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going.

This summer I am interning at the Multilateral Development Banks/International Affairs office of the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C. The Department of the Treasury is an executive agency of the United States’ federal government and is one of the largest financial institutions in the world; its main mission is to promote economic prosperity and ensure the financial security of the country. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) provide financial support to developing countries in order to support their economic growth. The Treasury’s role with MDBs is to engage the United States in the global development agenda, and ensure the effectiveness of MDBs’ interventions by pressuring these institutions and suggesting policies. My job here is to help and assist my coworkers with their projects and assignments, such as loan review and memorandum drafting for project proposals or loan disbursements. I have also been learning about the international development infrastructure and how the U.S, through the Treasury, funds, monitors and manages the substantial U.S. equity position in MDBs.

I have really enjoyed the opportunities available to me outside the office. The Treasury has organized many events, guided tours, informational meetings and training courses for interns; I was able to go through basic Haver and Bloomberg trainings, to learn more about different offices and opportunities at the Treasury for graduating students, and to attend very informative ‘Brexit’ talks organized in the wake of the U.K. referendum.

As an Economics major and International Studies minor, choosing between a career in the public sector or in the private sector is something that has come up very often during my job searches. I have previously worked in two different commercial banks and have been exposed to the private sector, but I wanted to know more about the different opportunities for economists in the public sector. The Treasury seemed like the perfect fit for getting to know the financial aspect of public service.

Washington, D.C. is an amazing city that has so much to offer: from Sunday brunch at the Harbour to free-admission Smithsonian museums and art galleries, my time outside of the office has been well spent! I was actually born in Georgetown, but my family moved to France when I was four years old, so I am gladly rediscovering the city with a newfound appreciation of its historical and cultural gems. Aside from the fascinating assignments I am fortunate to be working on, I have to admit that my favorite part of this internship is being able to walk through the White House entrance every morning, after showing my I.D. to the U.S. Secret Service in front of the herd of tourists on Pennsylvania Avenue. There is really nothing like being nodded on by the Secret Service.

P.S.: I haven’t had the opportunity of taking a selfie with POTUS or FLOTUS (or even Sunny and Bo) yet, but I have three weeks left and I still have my hopes up!

Q&A with Secretary of the Treasury Jacob J. Lew.