By Leslie Backoff
Summer 2013
In a city full of interns studying subjects such as political science or international relations I often get looked at weirdly when I say that I am studying hospitality administration. People become even more surprised to hear that my internship consists of planning meetings and events at a military university. I must admit that when I was offered an internship at National Defense University I was a bit apprehensive about how much it would actually relate to event planning. However, with my time at NDU coming to an end I can completely say that I have had great experiences that I will take with me for the rest of my career in the hospitality industry.
National Defense University is located on Fort McNair in the South West part of D.C. The wide range of masters programs and research centers as well as the large number of international students that come to study at NDU make for very diverse types of events on campus. Every year, the events department at NDU will put on over 600 events that range from a meeting with four people to the graduation ceremony that hosts over 3,000 attendees. Some of the events I have helped with include: a dedication of an original set of plans for the Normandy invasion, a meeting with Australian scholars, the NDU graduation ceremonies, a seminar on China and Iran, and a speech by the ambassador from Iraq.
