Chris Rinehart has wanted to work at the U.S. Department of State since high school, when he first became interested in issues related to civil service and policy.

When he earned an internship position there for the Spring 2024 semester, he got one step closer to that goal.

Rinehart’s internship runs from February-April 2024.

MSU’s International Affairs track was excellent preparation

Rinehart chose the accelerated Master of International Affairs track when he arrived at Missouri State University in 2020. He graduated in 2023 with a BA in Global Studies and immediately entered the accelerated program.

“I was nervous about attending a university outside of the Washington, D.C. Beltway because foreign policy is so heavily concentrated in our capital, and almost exclusively so,” Rinehart admitted.

Rinehart found MSU to be a good fit and credited his courses with increasing his confidence.

Three of those courses were political science classes taught by Dr. Ashley Leinweber, associate professor of political science in the Department of Political Science and Philosophy. Leinweber and Rinehart also worked together in Model United Nations.

“I have really enjoyed the policy-based aspects of the courses I have taken,” he said. “And Dr. Leinweber has always been such a big supporter of my endeavors.”

“I am very thankful to have her and Dr. Gabriel Ondetti as professors because they are always willing to help me reach the next step in my academic and professional careers,” Rinehart added.

Internship provides practical hands-on experience

The coveted internship with the State Department augments his education with hands-on experience and observation, Rinehart said.

“There is really no replacement for being at State,” he continued. “There is a very distinct culture and language used by the department, and even within offices, that would be impossible to learn elsewhere.”

“That being said, your education and other professional experiences go a long way for connecting with people,” he added.

“To any MSU students who feel similarly or are otherwise apprehensive about the prospects of a career in international relations, I hope that my experience serves as proof that we can go wherever we want to.”

Perseverance pays off

From high school onward, Rinehart had his eyes and ears open for any opportunity with the State Department. He learned about their internship opportunities sometime between his senior year of high school and freshman year at MSU.

Rinehart was accepted after his third time applying, when he was selected to be an alternate.

“This was further than I had gotten previously, so I was happy, but my friends and family can attest to my nerves all semester not knowing if I would be upgraded,” he said.

Rinehart was notified over the winter break that he had been accepted into the internship program. Soon after, he learned his bureau and office appointments.

“Each time, I became more and more excited to start the position. Even now…I can feel both the weight I carried on my shoulders last semester and the indescribable relief of knowing it is paying off.”

Keeping up in a fast-paced world

Because Rinehart is an intern within a high-security environment, he is limited in what details he can share about his work.

“One of my daily tasks is to read information coming into the office from a variety of sources and providing it in a very concise format for my coworkers to read,” he said to describe a typical day on the job.

Creating and keeping communication channels open with federal employees is “almost a daily task of its own,” Rinehart said. “Trying to arrange sit-downs—and attending them—with professionals in different offices, bureaus and potentially even other departments can take a substantial amount of time.”

Rinehart said the effort was worth it because of the networking opportunities.

“As fast paced as the department goes and the countless meetings people attend, I’ve yet to find anyone unwilling to chat with an intern for a bit,” he added. “These people are going above and beyond to meet with me.”

Cast a wide net for opportunities

Although he is still in the early days of his internship, Rinehart remains excited about this rare career opportunity. He urges students to actively explore multiple paths to enhance their own career goals.

“I would definitely encourage MSU students to look for internships, including this one with the Department of State,” he said. “As long as you join their talent network, you will get updates on vacancies so you will know when the brief application window is open for many of these positions.”

“My piece of advice to anyone wanting to do an internship in any field is to cast a wide net by applying to many positions, within the bounds of how much your references are capable and comfortable doing.”

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Photo provided by Chris Rinehart.