THE SUMMER 1998 AHI INTERNS

In the summer of 1998, AHI was fortunate to have a team of interns who assisted with various programs, specifically our publications program, and pending legislation in Congress.

Dena Fokas, a Greek American from Charleston, SC, interned at AHI for two months during the summer. Her parents are from Mavrata, Kephalonia. A senior at Furman University majoring in Political Science and Religion, Dena came to Washington with 24 other Furman students on an internship program. During High School she was a member of the Greek Orthodox Youth of America (GOYA) at her church, and continues her involvement as an advisor. A recipient of the American Hellenic Educational and Progressive Association (AHEPA) Scholarship, Dena will continue her Studies of international politics at the graduate level.

Christina Rocha is a senior at Chatham College in Pittsburgh concentrating in International Relations. Christina is a first generation Greek American from Baltimore, Maryland; her mother immigrated from Athens, Greece. Christina came to AHI for six weeks in the summer of 1998 following a six week internship at Senator Sarbanes' office. After her internship, Christina will finish her BA at Chatham and plans to continue with graduate studies and pursue a career in international relations or the Foreign Service.

Christina Rocha and Dena Fokas worked together on various projects and considered their time at AHI invaluable. They have taken advantage of the many opportunities to further their knowledge about the U.S. foreign policy to Greece and Cyprus. At AHI Dena and Christina met with their Representatives Mark Sanford (R-SC) and Robert Ehrlich (D-MD), respectively, to discuss U.S. relations with Greece and Cyprus. They also maintained contact with their state's Representatives to seek support for H.Con.Res.188, which affirms Greek sovereignty over the Imia islets in the Aegean.

In addition, they attended and were involved in AHI's June 10 conference, The United States and Cyprus: The Challenge for American Foreign Policy. Through monitoring the daily press and legislation in Congress, writing letters, speaking with Republic of Cyprus Press Counselor Miltos Miltiadou and help writing press releases, they studied the current issues and thoughts. They helped draft the chronology of events for our Handbook on United States Relations With Greece and Cyprus. Dena and Christina value their excellent experience with the AHI internship in Washington greatly, and realize that at AHI they gained first-hand knowledge they could not have experienced elsewhere.