Luana Coberg, Anthropology ’18

Luana Coberg attended the UC Davis Washington Program in Fall 2017.

Intern, MentorPrize

“UCDC went beyond anything I could have imagined. I can't even put into words how much I loved the program and everything that came along with it.”

Approaching UCDC as an anthropology major, Luana Coberg was unsure how she would fare in the politically-driven environment. Looking back now, she could not have imagined a more positive experience.

“I fell completely in love with D.C., which I was not expecting at all. I met such positive and inspirational people that motivated me to better myself and be an active citizen of this country,” she said. “The experience and skills I gained from my internship were so beneficial for my future career goals in working with nonprofits.” 

The social, political, and economic injustices faced by minority groups are close to Luana’s heart due to their prominence in her past anthropology coursework. This passion is what drove Luana when interning for MentorPrize, an organization that serves disadvantaged youth in the Washington, D.C., area. Since the nonprofit had only been established for less than two years, Luana helped out with a little bit of everything, from corresponding with partner organizations to tabling at farmer’s markets and corporate events. 

MentorPrize’s work in providing proper resources to minority groups aligned perfectly with what Luana hopes to do in the future. Working with the organization also gave Luana a firsthand look inside the nonprofit world. Now, she is more focused than ever to tackle injustices by providing disadvantaged people with “resources and tools to have a life everyone deserves.”

Luana’s decision to participate in UCDC and intern in the country’s political center has undeniably been one of the best she’s made. No matter the major, Luana says, anyone will be able to find an internship that suits them in Washington, D.C.

“It really did solidify the kind of work I want to be doing and made me more motivated to continue doing that type of work. I would do this program over and over again.”

The UC Davis Washington Program (UCDC) offers a unique opportunity for undergraduate students with majors of all kinds – from English to animal science – to live, work, and study for an academic quarter in the nation’s capital. No matter their major, students integrate compelling coursework with exceptional work experience from an array of organizations throughout the Washington, D.C., metro area. 

— By Maddy Shiber, writing intern in the UC Davis College of Letters and Science. May 15, 2018