Internship Placement Program
Our programs are designed to help you succeed on the career path that you choose. We ensure full representation of women and participants from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) or other schools with diverse student populations, to include African Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans, Hispanics, Veterans, and individuals with disabilities. All ethnicities and backgrounds are eligible and highly encouraged to apply!
How It Works
1Submit an Application
Apply for the Internship Placement Program online following the link below. Once you submit your application, an ABPA representative will contact you regarding your status.
2Mentorship Program
Once accepted, you will participate in the Mentorship Program that includes resume building, cover letter assistance, and interview coaching one-on-one with an ABPA mentor.
3Placement
We submit your application to exclusive opportunities with our host employers that best match your profile. The host employer will make the final decision of intern selection within their respective organization.
4Follow-Up & Evaluation
Your mentor will work with you throughout the process for onboarding to your new internship upon selection. Your mentor will check in periodically to ensure satisfactory and successful results, following an end-of-term evaluation.
Internship Resume Guidelines
Headline & Education
Professional & Volunteer Experience
Awards, Honors, Activities
Certificates, Licenses, References
Links to Helpful Sources for Resume Building:
Current Internship Opportunities with Our Partners:
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
CATO Institute
Sahouri Insurance and Financial
Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services - IRIS
Current Full-Time Opportunities with Our Partners:
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)
If interested in any of the positions above, please find us on Handshake as 'ABPA Institute' to apply.
If you do not have access to handshake please email your resume to career@abpadc.org with the subject line as:
'Internship Placement Program - position title you would like to apply for'
Someone from our team will follow up to further connect you with our partner organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out about new opportunities?
Are all internships paid?
I'm a graduate student. Are there any opportunities for me?
Do I have to be a U.S. Citizen?
Testimony From Our Partner:
Thrivers Philanthropies
"As a humanitarian small nonprofit organization,skilled interns and volunteers are the backbone of implementing our work due to the limited funds to hire full or part-timers. The humanitarian perception is as important as the financial element. We also deal with all sorts of tough situations, and we serve immigrants who have been through alot. All of these are very sophisticated elements to consider while designing a job description for an intern.
ABPA has been a blessing in our journey while serving humanity.They have provided Thrivers Philanthropies with access to the most skillful students who have a genuine interest in making a difference in the world. At Thrivers, we work as a family, and we serve together to thrivetogether. We were so happy to find that our interns are asking for recommendation letters to graduate schools or for job opportunities. Some of our interns returned and asked to still help us on the weekends because they believe in the gravity of the work that we provide.
We are grateful for ABPA and the team working hard to matchstudents with prospective host organizations like ours to fulfill a sensitive employment need."
- Sara Abdel
Thrivers On The Move Founder & CEO
Thrivers Philanthropies President and Executive Director
Hear From ABPA Interns
"Words cannot express my gratitude for ABPA's guidance and support throughout its Internship Placement Program. As a college freshman, I was unsure of where and how to begin searching for internship opportunities. ABPA's program was of phenomenal assistance in finding postings aligning with my interests and goals. As a result, I began interning with the Arab Center Washington DC, a company I have had an incredible experience with. The team is very friendly and welcoming, the work is intellectually stimulating and flexible, and the think tank's opportunities and team culture align perfectly with what I had sought. My goals for the internship involve strengthening my research and writing skills in a timely, real-world environment, familiarizing myself with the think tank scene, and getting to know people with diverse backgrounds and specialties. I am happy to have made great progress towards these goals from day one, and am beyond thankful to ABPA and ACW for making it all possible!"
-Seera Sohal- Spring '23 Intern placed with Arab Center Washington DC
Connect with Seera on LinkedIn
"My internship hasbeen a wonderful experience thus far. Coming across this opportunity would have been highly unlikely if not for consistent outreach and smooth
facilitation of the ABPA. I subscribed to the ABPA mailing list in the early years of my undergraduate degree, and I have intermittently scanned the opportunities sent out ever since. With the recent reorientation of my academic and career goals, I was looking for a way to involve myself professionally in an engineering-related capacity. When I found the AAAEA internship listing, I immediately reached out to express interest. Thanks to the helpfulness and responsiveness of the ABPA team, I was able to secure the internship within a
week. Working with the AAAEA has allowed me to learn more about how organizations function and to make valuable connections with seasoned professionals in the field of engineering. "-Nuh Elalaoui- Summer '23 AAAEA Program Intern
"During my time with the Arab-American Business and Professional Association, I was able to learn and grow from my experience as a Marketing Research/Outreach Intern this spring. This internship allowed me to increase engagement with the organization through community involvement, and helped me develop outreach skills that will benefit my professional career substantially. Through the media of the ABPA, I also learned more about the business world and specific topics that I will need to engage with later on, and am confident that I will be able to return to the ABPA for future guidance. I learned more about this great organization, and was able to create professional relationships and work that will benefit my business career and education. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and thank the ABPA for hiring me to intern with them"
- Elana Hadi- Spring '23 ABPA Marketing Research/Outreach Intern
"During my time as an intern at the ABPA Institute, I worked to find remote internship opportunities in the United States in a variety of different career fields, from politics to marketing to biology [...] Overall, I really enjoyed my time at ABPA and I am both grateful to the Institute for the work they are doing to help minority students gain pre-professional opportunities and proud to have contributed to that mission"
- Meg Friedman- Fall '22 ABPA Institute Research Intern.
"This remote internship had a great impact on developing my interpersonal and professional skills [...] I had the chance to communicate with my peers effectively, exchange perspectives and ideas amid diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds, and develop a strong sense of cooperation and teamwork for the sake of our ultimate noble goal despite our different project focuses assigned [...] ABPA’s internship experience was such a rewarding one that I highly recommend to all students and fresh graduates from all over the world."
- Reham A. Lotfy - Fall '22 Intern at ABPA Institute
"In just one summer, I gained so much from my internship with Thrivers Philanthropies. I worked alongside Sara Abdel. who guided me on tasks in a stimulating way. Through, I gained insights into email and social media marketing that allowed me to connect with immigrants in need of resources like computers for school/ work. I genuinely felt like I was learning something new everyday. Not only was I improving my communication, project management, and designing skills, but I was also helping people. Sara made that possible for me and for them. And for that, I am grateful for this opportunity to go through this incredible experience with Thrivers."
- Jack Lee - Summer '22 Intern at Thrivers Philanthropiest
"My experience with ABPA was nothing short of amazing. Previously, my only work experience was in the political realm and I was not familiar with working for a nonprofit orworking with recruiting. My favorite project with ABPA was the BLM recruitment project, even though that project was intense, I was able to learn so many new
skills"-Selene Norman- ABPA Institute Intern
"At ABPA, I felt like a member of the team whose voice and recommendations were always welcome in the conversation. My time was respected, and everyone was always willing to accommodate my school related responsibilities. It was a privilege to get know Mr. Sahouri, Ambassador Maalouf, and Ms. Qutub.
After I graduate, I plan to work for the State Department as a foreign service officer, and I know my experience working with ABPA will help my ability to getto know other cultures and work in a team."-Ryan Fields- ABPA Institute Intern
"Searching for internship and job opportunities is incredibly daunting, especially as an Arab-American with a limited network of people who work in my field of interest. Receiving regular emails with internship and job openings to apply to was incredibly helpful, not only because it exposed me to organizations I never would have found on my own, but also because it made applying much easier. I am so grateful to ABPA for making the internship hunt a little less stressful, and I am beyond excited to start my summer internship at Partnership for Transparency this summer!"
- Karen Samy - Summer '21 Intern at Partnership for Transparency Fund
"ABPA has not only allowed me to feel more comfortable with the process of looking for an internship but has also exposed me to many opportunities I would have never had. Having access to the resources, internship openings, and more that ABPA provides is something that has taken a weight off my shoulders. I am so grateful to ABPA not only for how they help me but also for the work they do for the Arab American community and other underserved communities. Thanks to ABPA I will be working as an intern at KARAMAH this summer. This opportunity will be my introduction to the professional world and a chance for me to explore my future career options"
- Samantha Kalibala - Summer '21 Intern at KARAMAH
"ABPA is considered ahome to me. I loved working with Aliya, Amanda, and the rest of the team in helping Arab-Americans establish their professional footing. I also enjoyed working with Ryan and Ahmed in research and outreach when trying to build ABPA’s partnerships with various organizations. This whole experience applies well to my post-grad plans to work at an organization that addresses social issues within the global community. Despite our professional relations, it was an honor to work with and to personally get to know a team filled with bright personalities, which is why I recommend you become a member of ABPA!"
-Kate Wickens- ABPA Institute Outreach Intern
"I have been a part of the ABPA community for a year now, and this is my second internship placement through them. I will always be grateful for the opportunities they offer as they will definitely prepare me for my post graduation career. I will always ty to take advantage of it ever semester."
- May Kadow - Summer '20 Intern at KARAMAH
"I got to meet different people with different ideas and solutions to tackle problems. I feel happy that. I could contribute with my technical skills to help the organization. Thank you to ABPA for accepting and giving me the wonderful opportunity. I was able to save my time and money; above all I could graduate on time."
- Deepa Kc - Spring '20 Intern at American Muslim Senior Society
"ABPA played a huge role in connecting me with USQBC. The interview was smooth and I received the offer. I really appreciate the Arab-American Business & Professional Association and am looking forward to hearing about their achievements."
- Sanad Masoud - Spring '19 Intern at the US-Qatar Business Council
Before I got an email from ABPA, I had given up on the idea of having an internship for the summer. Now I am very grateful ABPA connected me to the US-U.A.E. Business Council giving me this wonderful chance to learn and grow!
- Leila Bouhussein - Summer '19 Intern at US-UAE Business Council
"I never would have gotten this internship without ABPA, which assisted with many processes to help place Mohammed and I successfully in BLM. Furthermore, ABPA provided different webinars during the internship to help us develop our skills and take our experience to the next level."
- Shadhan Al Kharusi - Summer '19 Intern at Bureau of Land Management
"My name is Yasmeen Ali and I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I am in my senior year studying criminal justice and psychology. I will be attending law school in the following year to study criminal law. I appreciate all of ABPA's efforts to connect me with amazing opportunities."
- Yasmeen Ali - Summer '19 Intern at American Muslim Senior Society
"I am so grateful for this experience that was only possible with the help of ABPA, before joining ABPA I was struggling to find an internship. I could confidently say that ABPA has given me the resources needed for a successful career in engineering. I am also grateful for the ABPA program coordinates who were extremely helpful from revising my resume, to sending me internship opportunities and helping me with the application process."
- Ibraheem Al Ani - Spring '19 Intern at the Washington Headquarters Services
"ABPA is going great things for Arab-American students, and I am appreciative of the sense of community among Arab-Americans they have helped to foster in the DC area."
- Ines Oulamine - Spring '19 Intern at the U.S. Department of Energy
Our Partners:
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Contact
8200 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1550
McLean, Virginia 22102
Phone: (703) 589-9477
Email: info@abpadc.org
© 2021 ABPA Institute