International Student House Washington, DC

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Time to say Goodbye!

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This past month of July had many celebrations: our country’s independence on the fourth, Colombia’s independence on the 20th, and Manuela finishing up her internship at World Bank on the 27th. These last few weeks have flown by, and I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I first entered the front lobby at the International House. It has been such an amazing journey: the great people I’ve met, the friendships I’ve kept up with, the events I’ve attended, and even the ones I hosted myself! I hope you remember my last post about the coffee tasting because I have some updates…

The first ever coffee tasting event in the Great Hall was a success. Residents learned about the history of coffee, how the coffee bean transforms into a coffee cup, and the different coffee varieties in the coffee belt region. Afterwards we all woke up by sampling four different types of coffee from: Ethiopia, Hawaii, Jamaica and Colombia. We all enjoyed pairing our coffee with yummy pastries and chocolates provided by the kitchen and we talked about our favorite coffee varieties. I learned so much when preparing for the event, and I’m so happy we had such a great turnout.


ISH residents at the Coffee tasting in the Great Hall

I took a weekend trip to New York City in July to visit an old ISH friend from Paris. She is interning in Manhattan until the end of December, and it was great to meet up after staying in touch for months. We had great weather in Brooklyn, so we decided to check out the open-air market festival called Smorgasburg. We were able to try different types of street food, listen to live music, and get some ice cream—all while enjoying a beautiful view of the city.

ISH resident Sixtine and myself in Brooklyn

The last week of my internship I invited one of the ISH residents to come visit the World Bank and check out our amazing cafeteria for lunch. I gave her a tour of our main building, and she offered to show me around the Organization of American States (OAS) before I left. I took her up on the offer and was pleasantly surprised when I went to visit the historic building.  We walked around the statue hall, the main ballroom, and had lunch in the entrance garden. Thank you, Sofi, for being a great tour guide, I learned a lot about the OAS! The best part about ISH has been the people and the great opportunities that come along with it!

ISH resident Sofia and myself in the OAS
The OAS statue hall
The OAS Ballroom

 

About Manuela Hernandez

Country: USA and Colombia
School: Georgetown University, International Development
Bio: Manuela Hernandez is a Colombian-American student at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service where she is pursuing a Master of Science in the Foreign Service with a concentration in International Development. She is originally from Medellin, Colombia and moved to Florida at the age of five. She grew up in Miami and Orlando, and went to the University of Florida in Gainesville. She studied Economics and International Studies with a focus on Europe. Manuela worked as an intern in the Florida legislature, in both the House and Senate, during college. She also interned for the U.S. Consulate in Dusseldorf for a semester and worked in different sections such as public diplomacy and political. Manuela has studied abroad in Paris, Magdeburg, and Medellin. She most recently finished working for Kiron, a non-profit that helps refugees get access to higher education, and interning in the U.S. Congress this past summer for 10 weeks in the office of Congressman Alcee Hastings. Manuela is a 2017 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellow and will focus on economic issues as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer upon completion of graduate school. Manuela loves traveling; she went backpacking this past summer for three months all across the Balkan countries. She also loves cooking and doing yoga.

International Student House of Washington, DC | 1825 R Street, NW | Washington, DC 20009

International Student House of Washington, DC is a private, non-profit 501(c)3 organization located near Dupont Circle in the heart of Washington, DC. Donations will help support our mission to provide an exceptional residential experience to a highly diverse international community of graduate students, interns and visiting scholars. The House promotes inter-cultural dialogue, encourages life-long connections, and fosters global citizenship.