Noah is currently a senior Law & Policy major with a minor in Human Rights who is making the most of his UW Tacoma experience by finishing his degree in Washington D.C. Although not one to stay in one place for too long, Noah came to our campus in winter quarter of 2018 from the University of San Francisco. Aiming at first for the Seattle campus, a technicality in the admissions process brought Noah here where he fell in love with UWT. The cross-country finish to his senior year arose from an internship with social media giant, Twitter.
When asked how working for Twitter works with his Law & Policy degree, Noah said, “Both my major and minor have been very relevant to my work because you have to have a very good understanding of how our government functions, specifically Congress in order to sufficiently perform the essential functions of my job. Also, to manage crisis response work there is a huge play on my human rights minor. I would say that my pathway aligns perfectly for my current role.”
So what does a Twitter intern—A twintern perhaps?—do in our nation’s capital? “To begin with, I do work with Congress such as attending hearings on behalf of Twitter, performing trainings for congressional offices, understanding policies or legislation related to Twitter, and advocating certain policies. On top of this I work on election security within the platform as well as crisis response by Twitter in emergency situations.”
Intensely fascinating and compelling work for those into law and policy! How does one find and acquire an internship with such a large corporation and government? To start, he urges, you have to apply no matter how daunting. “To give some context, a statistic reported by Twitter is that for approximately 200 intern positions per year, there are 70,000 applicants. It is a very thorough and long application process but for good reason. Being confident, doing research, and using your communication skills are all important and helpful.”
When asked about how his education here at UWT prepared him for this opportunity, Noah said, “I believe that every course I took contributed equally well to my work but if I had to name a few they would be the Constitutional Law & American Government [series]. These gave me a concrete knowledge of how our government functions, why it functions that way, how it can be challenged, and how I can make a difference. The biggest part is how I can make a difference because that is exactly what I am trying to do every day in Washington.”
On that inspirational note, what advice would Noah give to future students? “One thing that I always tell people is to stay ambitious. Shoot for the stars and don’t settle for anything less. Even if you may believe that you do not fit the qualifications for something attempt it anyway because you can make yourself qualified with how you react, communicate, and by how determined you are. Also, get on Twitter! A bit of a shameful plug but I have to since I work for the company now! Follow me, ask me questions, and see what I am doing every day in Washington! @jnoahramirez.”