Chairman Risch Recognizes SFRC Fall Interns

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today recognized the committee’s six fall interns as they conclude their time in the Senate.

“Committee internships provide students and recent graduates the opportunity to have a front-row seat as we handle major global issues,” said Risch. “From the threat of communist China, to growing instability in Turkey and Syria, this semester’s interns have been able to participate in U.S. foreign policy first-hand and get a glimpse of why the United States continues to be a global power. I thank this group of exceptional students and graduates for their hard work this semester and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.”

SFRC’s fall interns from left to right: Max Shafron, Olivia Rademaker, Matthew Boucher, Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Kelsey Hyslop, Ahmed Hamid, and Emma Kinghorn

The SFRC interns this fall included:

Matthew Boucher

East Longmeadow, Mass.

Boucher is a recent graduate from Western New England University where he received a bachelor’s degree in international studies. With interests in the Indo-Pacific and international trade, Boucher intends to get involved with Connecticut’s spring 2020 legislative session and then return to D.C. to pursue a career in government affairs.

Ahmed Hamid

Chicago, Ill. / Baghdad, Iraq

Hamid is currently a junior at Georgetown University where he studies international politics with a concentration in international security. Next semester, Hamid will intern at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in the office of Egyptian Affairs. Having grown up in war-torn Iraq, Hamid hopes to give back by pursuing a career as a political or political-military affairs officer in the Foreign Service with a focus on unconventional warfare and nuclear proliferation.

Kelsey Hyslop

Nampa, Idaho

Hyslop is a recent graduate from Boise State University where she majored in political science with an emphasis on international relations and minored in Arabic studies. Kelsey recently moved back to Idaho to work as a legislative proofreader for the Idaho State Legislature before she moves to Georgia this summer as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Emma Kinghorn

Indianapolis, Ind.

Kinghorn is a senior at Miami University (Ohio) studying journalism, international security, and political science. Before graduating in May, Kinghorn will complete her thesis on the de-radicalization of returning foreign fighters from the conflict in Syria. In the future, Kinghorn would like to pursue a career in defense policy and planning.

Olivia Rademaker

McLean, Va.

Rademaker is a recent graduate of Georgetown University where she received degrees in history and art history. Upon completion of the SFRC internship, Rademaker will begin working in a government affairs role in the Washington, D.C. area.

Max Shafron

Atlanta, Ga.

Shafron is a second year master’s student at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University where he is pursuing a degree in international affairs with concentrations in international security and Europe/Eurasia. Shafron previously received his bachelor’s degree in international relations from Tulane University. Upon completion of his master’s in May, Shafron hopes to work for the U.S. government where he can continue to focus on transatlantic economic and security policy, specifically in analyzing how the United States and EU can cooperate to counter China’s political and economic influence throughout Europe.

Click here to learn more about the SFRC internship program.

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