As a Payne Fellow, I interned at USAID/Georgia, working mainly with their Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Office. I spent the summer assisting with their current projects ranging from strengthening rule of law to supporting Independent Living Centers across the country; helping to develop a new program design; and promoting work with sub-grantees. I was also able to join the Ambassador as she traveled around the country in celebration of 30 years of US-Georgian diplomatic relations. We listened to the concerns of civil society and USAID’s program partners so we can try to incorporate them into our projects. My experience in Georgia was a great opportunity to see what my career as a foreign service officer is going to look like, as well as the variety of things that I’ll get to work on, and I’m excited to join USAID after graduating!