My name is Jessie Agatstein, and I spent my summer working on hydraulic fracturing at the EPA's Office of Science Policy.

My internship provided me with an excellent opportunity to research exciting, topical issues that I had studied from afar at MIT. This summer, I was able to better understand the theories I had studied in the classroom by observing the realities of the United States political system. I loved being able to conduct original research and draft communication strategies – to do science and to do politics. It was the perfect fit for my seemingly unconnected majors of VII and XI.

MIT's Washington Summer Internship Program helped me find an amazing internship and several great mentors in the field I hope to enter when I graduate (environmental policy and planning). So not only did it further my academic experience within MIT, but it helped prepare me for professional life after MIT.