| by Stephen Diehl
When the pandemic shutdown brought Dion Miller’s Peace Corps plans to a screeching halt in 2021, he decided there was only one course of action: go back to school.
The University of Washington–Bothel graduate knew he wanted to study some form of international development, and Middlebury kept popping up every time he searched for programs. He liked what he saw and enrolled in the Institute’s International Policy and Development (IPD) program.
With classes online due to the pandemic, Miller was pleasantly surprised by how engaged he could be in an online program—always feeling involved, working as a graduate assistant, working on projects in Monterey, and even serving as president of the student organization BUILD, which offers free language classes to the community. He also enjoyed in-person learning when he attended the Middlebury Language Schools Arabic School in Vermont over the summer.
Ultimately, Miller’s patience paid off when he landed a position working for UNICEF in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for his Professional Service Semester, which helps students secure graduate-level internships, jobs, or consultancies. He was supported with a Freeman Foundation Award, which provided $5,000 to cover the unpaid internship.
He says the experience has given him great insight into how UNICEF and the UN work in general and he’s enjoyed the sudden immersion into another culture.
Master of Arts in International Policy and Development
International Professional Service Semester
| by Sierra Abukins
Alumnus Sam Worthington shares his journey from grad school to 16 years at the helm of InterAction, the nation’s largest alliance of nongovernmental organizations, with tips for people just starting out.
| by Stephen Diehl
Through an exclusive agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund, a record number of Institute students are gaining professional experience at the highest levels.
| by Jason Warburg
A new memorandum of understanding with UNICEF reserves internship slots at the UN agency for two Middlebury Institute students each year, offering an accelerated path into the international development field.
