Natasha’s Reflection on TANIP Experience

My name is Natasha Yotmanee and I am a rising sophomore at the College of William and Mary, majoring in International Relations. It is an honor to be a part of this year's cohort for the Thai American National Internship Program.

I am incredibly thankful to the Royal Thai Embassy for having this program that not only elevates the voices and representation of the Thai community, but also provides the Thai-American youths the opportunity to receive our first experience working at the federal level. The embassy’s mission to advance Thai-US relations fueled my desire to work with the Royal Thai Embassy. I will always be proud to be a part of the TANIP program.

I would like to thank Ambassador Tanee, DCM Chuliepote, P’Jao, P’Jack, P’Sart, P’Ice, P’Aim, P’Pupan, P’John and the rest of the staff of the Royal Thai Embassy for all the support we received during our time in DC. It has been an incredible experience that I won't ever forget. All of you made me feel better connected to my Thai heritage and provided me with many opportunities to give back to the Thai community.

Thank you to my parents, family, friends, and mentors who supported and encouraged me every step of the way to achieve my goals. All of you have always been here for me, pushing me, and making me understand that my dreams are never impossible to achieve.

I would also like to thank everyone at the US-Asia Institute, especially Mary Sue, Anna, Amanda, and Althea. Thank you for your work in supporting us this summer and for coordinating events for us to learn and network from.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone at the East-West Center for making my time in DC, a memorable experience. I would like to thank Abbi, Aryan, and Lilah, who were my amazing mentors that I learned so much from. All of you were always open to talk and gave me some great life and career advice. I felt that I was truly a part of the East-West Center family and I will really miss working with you all.

The East-West Center is a think tank and educational institution that fosters better relations and understanding between those in the US, Asia, and the Pacific islands.

I had the privilege of participating in their young-professional program. I primarily worked on their ASEAN Matters for America publication where I would research US-ASEAN relations and the main highlights or topics that the countries are focusing on. I also wrote articles to promote US-Asia relations on their Asia Matters for America website.

At the East  -West Center, they promote interns going to events to learn something new about US-Asia relations. My personal favorites were India’s Prime Minister Modi’s State arrival and the Carnegie and CSIS Indo-Pacific events. I truly feel that I have been challenged at the East West Center and have been able to thoroughly develop my skills suitable for a work environment.

My time as an intern at the Royal Thai Embassy and the East-West Center, taught me valuable knowledge about the Indo-Pacific and Thailand that have impacted my career goals.

While I'm not sure what the future holds, I know that I want to learn more and experience a different society where the people, culture, and traditions may vary from the one I live in. I want to drive change and make the world a better place. To me, this means helping and understanding individuals and their situations — economically, culturally, and socially.

I want to keep learning and growing both my interpersonal and technical skills so that I can strive to be the most successful version of myself, which is why I am proud to be a TANIP intern.