International studies major participates in unique internship in the Pentagon

Karthik Venkatraj

Venkatraj, an international studies major and member of the Corps of Cadets from Brooklyn, New York, was matched with an internship in the Department of Defense (DOD) by the Public Policy Internship Program. After a phone interview and a rigorous security clearance process, Venkatraj was selected to participate in the DOD program.

During the summer of 2007, Venkatraj worked in Washington, D.C., as an intern in the Pentagon, working specifically in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the Office of Legislative Counsel.

“During my tenure in the Pentagon, I had the privilege to work with some of the most distinguished, motivated and patriotic military and civilian personnel, fighting the legal side of the War on Terror,” Venkatraj said.

Venkatraj assisted attorneys with legal briefs dealing with DOD and its interaction with other facets of government.

“I gained an invaluable legal perspective on several national security issues,” Venkatraj said. “Due to my military experience, I was also granted a secret clearance, which allowed me to appreciate our nation’s commitment towards international law as we deal with indiscriminate terror.”

Experiences in Corps of Cadets provide distinct values

As the Corps of Cadet’s Public Relations Sergeant, Venkatraj plans and implements all public relations activities for the Corps. He is in charge of supervising and ensuring cadet participation in all public service and community events.

When asked what event or moment confirmed his decision to join the Corps, Venkatraj responded “Silver Taps. In those brief moments, I knew that I was in a truly unique organization.”

“To expound, I was part of one of the few organizations in the nation that has placed its values above everything else,” Venkatraj said. “In a world full of false facades and transient values, the Corps stands as a stalwart harbinger of these values. It is a privilege and honor to be part of an organization that spreads and upholds the time honored values of loyalty, truth, and justice.”

Government internship molds career aspirations

Upon graduation, Venkatraj plans to commission as an Army military intelligence officer. After the Army, he plans to get both a masters/juris doctorate in international affairs and international law at Columbia and work either in the DOD or Department of State as a policymaker.

“My interest right now lies in partnership strategy, which involves training indigenous troops to fight insurgents/extremists within their own nation. Essentially, I want to work on making the Global War on Terror a truly global effort with the peoples of all nations unifying to defeat the extremist elements in their society that restrict their ability to live without fear. Without a secure stable situation in nation, all other aspects of national development, economic and infrastructurally, becomes impossible,” Venkatraj said. “I know this internship has given me a firm legal foundation for policymaking or any of my future endeavors.”

Prior to the DOD internship, Venkatraj was selected as the David L. Boren National Security Education Program Scholar, which sent him to Al Akhawayn University’s Intensive Arabic Program in Morocco, in the summer of 2006. He was also selected for the Academy of Future International Leaders and was named a 2008 Truman finalist by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation.

For Donald J. Curtis, Jr., assistant dean in the College of Liberal Arts, Karthik was an exceptional student coming into college. Curtis chose Venkatraj for the Cornerstone Program Learning Community out of high school.

“What has impressed me the most about his undergraduate career at Texas A&M has been his willingness to take academic risks – the Boren Institute program in Morocco, the Truman Scholarship and the USA-Today Academic All-American program are not things that students embark on lightly, particularly with a very full plate both in the Corps of Cadets and as vice president of the Memorial Student Center,” Curtis said. “I had very high expectations of him, but Karthik has, in all honesty, exceeded my expectations for him both as a scholar and as an Aggie.”

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Contact: Holly Lambert, hollyalyselambert@libarts.tamu.edu, 979.862.4879