Student Accepts Internship at National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Mohammad Khashogji, a senior business administration major in the Harry F. Byrd Jr. School of Business, has been selected for a spring 2017 internship at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations in Washington, D.C. His internship began on Jan. 30. The mission of the the National Council is to educate Americans about the Arab, Middle Eastern, and Islamic worlds through leadership development, people-to-people programs, lectures and academic briefings.

The internship is important to Khashogji as it represents his first step in achieving his dream of working for the Saudi Arabian embassy. His duties include supporting the Model Arab League Program by assisting with recruitment, event planning, arranging embassy meetings for MAL delegations, staffing local conferences and training student leaders in parliamentary procedure.

A highlight of the internship is the opportunity for exposure to the logistics of policy making, a special interest of  Khashogji. He will support the Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference by providing National Council staff with logistical support; assisting with schedule confirmation; registering participants and facilitating conference proceedings.

Originally enrolled as a biology major, Khashogji subsequently found his gift was truly in foreign relations. He credits his cousin Jamal Khashogji for showing him the impact one can have when using one’s talents to help others through building awareness and pushing for change.

Khashogji is currently the president of the Saudi Students Association at Shenandoah University and is enjoying his second consecutive semester on the Dean’s List.