2026 NatSec

National Security & Diplomacy Internship

Fight global terrorism

Program Information

Rising Freshman - Graduating Seniors

Georgetown University Washington, DC

Seven Days - Sunday to Saturday

July 26th – Aug 1st, 2026

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$3,500 USD

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The Program

The National Security and Diplomacy Internship is a first-of-its-kind program that allows students to work directly with national security experts, train in the latest intelligence tactics and implement security strategies to save lives.

In this rigorous internship, students will participate in diplomacy training, tour military, and intelligence department headquarters, and work with professional security leaders from the FBI and Department Of Defense to design solutions for security issues facing real communities in the developing world. Students will work directly with security forces protecting communities from terrorism.

For their final project, students will design and propose a security strategy to save lives with the help and mentoring of security industry professionals for a real security company in the developing world. Participants will present these proposed strategies to a panel of experts, top strategies will be implemented over the following year.

Participants will get the opportunity to tour exclusive government, military, and diplomatic sites and participate in briefings from top officials. These tours have included DHS/HSI Field Offices, US Embassies, CIA/FBI headquarters, and the US Pentagon.

Exclusive Site Tours

Interns work with current and former experts from the Pentagon, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, Secret Service, National Security Agency, and State Department to assist in creating solutions for their security partner.

Work with Experts

Interns partner with a security agency with offices located in the developing world to create a security solution that will be implemented over the course of one year. These efforts will counter-terrorist activities in communities to save lives.

Security Experience

Program Highlights

Michael Daza

DC International PCS, Class of 2026

2023 National Security & Intelligence Internship

"I was able to meet many people from the Department of Defense (DoD) and many other national security organizations. My favorite lectures were from people working at the DoD who were talking about careers in the military. Their real-world experience allowed them to give us good tips about the admissions process to universities such as the US Air Force Academy."

Explore a career in security and international relations — before you graduate high school.

Program Director, Rusty Capps is a former FBI counter-terrorism expert and one of the country's leading instructors on counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and security awareness education. Rusty teaches for the FBI, CIA, and Pentagon on counter-security measures and created this internship program.

Additionally, students will receive training with leading representatives from the National Security Agency, CIA, FBI, Secret Service, West Point, the U.S. Department of State, Navy Seals and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Explore a career in security

Students choose how to implement a grant designed to assistant a security company in the developing world by creating security solutions for a community affected by the Boko Haram.

Interns will partner with specific mentors and gain hands-on security experience designing new counter-insurgency security solutions with leaders from the CIA, Pentagon, FBI, U.S. Military and more.

Explore a career in security.

Interns explore Washington, DC and take exclusive tours of the FBI and CIA, the Pentagon, DHS/HSI Offices, the State Department, and Various Embassy sites while getting to experience life as a Georgetown University student in the Nation’s Capitol.

Explore a career in security and international relations — before you graduate high school.

Students have the rare opportunity to attend Undergraduate Admissions and Security Recruitment Panels to provide students with a firsthand account of what universities look for in their accepted students. Students speak directly with Admissions Officers from Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Georgetown, George Washington, and American University. Security recruitment officers from the FBI, CIA, Marines, Air Force, Army, and Navy will also be in attendance.

Explore a career in security

Undergraduate Admissions Panels

Intelligence School Admissions Panels

Throughout the program, students meet and network with leaders from top US organizations, with 2021 panelists including The Pentagon, the FBI, the CIA, the US Department of Defense, the US Department of State, and leading domestic and international private security organizations.

Explore a career in security and international relations — before you graduate high school.

All students who attend one of our Summer Internship Programs will receive free SAT/ACT training through PrepScholar, one-on-one admissions consulting with a former admissions officer, essay editing assistance, two letters of recommendation, and scholarship application assistance. These benefits remain available for six years to allow nominations for rising freshmen through rising seniors.

Click on each academic benefit below to learn more :

1. One-on-One Advising

2. College Essay Assistance

3. Letters of Recommendation

4. College Probability Modeling

6. Admissions Panels

5. Personalized Websites

Jumpstart your college experience.

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Summer program students will have the opportunity to meet virtually, one-on-one with a college admissions expert from our partners at CollegeAdvisor. They will help walk students through the ins-and-outs of college applications, essay writing, and scholarships.

Students can speak directly with dedicated admissions counselors and former admissions officers to provide them with an in-depth understanding of the college application process. These counselors have personal and extensive experience in the college application field that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

Students are recommended to have their most pressing questions about the college application process ready so they can have them answered by someone who knows the application system inside and out.

Past students have used this time to hone in on their essay topics, decide on how many colleges to apply to, and create application time lines.

One-on-One Advising

All Summer Internship Program participants receive one-on-one essay editing assistance from Leadership Initiatives partner University Connection.

This offer is exclusive, and not available with any other institution or program!

Each student essay will be edited to ensure it makes an excellent impression at every stage of the competitive application process. The editors will improve the style, clarity, sentence structure and coherence of your application so that your achievements are noticed.

Editors bring their experience in many different backgrounds, including Science and Technology, Commerce, Management, and the Humanities.

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College Essay Review

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Letters of Recommendation

Matthew Matusiewicz - Full Ride to UC Berkley School of Engineering

Samantha Williams - Attending Harvard University

Meredith Karle - Full Scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Request a letter or recommendation here.

All Summer Internship Program participants will have the opportunity to request up to two letters of recommendation from any member of the Leadership Initiatives staff, including Executive Director Marshall Bailly.

Student interns will also have the opportunity to receive letters of recommendation from Leadership Initiatives partners affiliated with the International International Internship Program (IIP).

These distinctive and complimentary letters are among the most highly valued benefits offered by Leadership Initiatives. Below are examples of recommendation letters from past students, highlighting the transformative impact of the program on their lives.

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College Probability Modeling

Leadership Initiatives and our partners at Parchment, PrepScholar and University Connections have designed a system that will calculate the probability of acceptance into the student’s top university choices based on the students GPA, test scores, extracurricular activities, career goals, financial need and more.

Our college admissions team will guide participants in refining their college interest list and developing a personalized application plan.

Drawing on their experience with a wide range of institutions, they offer valuable insights to help students better navigate the admissions process.

Financial Assistance Needs

Extra-Curricular Activities

Community Service

College Probability Calculator

Grade Point Average

SAT/ACT Training Scores

Leadership Initiatives creates a personalized website for each Summer Internship Program participant, showcasing their collaborative efforts with partners and mentors throughout the summer.

Each website highlights your team’s solutions, grant proposal, and photos from your time at Georgetown, illustrating the meaningful impact your work has had on your partners and their communities. A link to your website is included in your letters of recommendation, giving colleges the opportunity to explore and appreciate the exceptional contributions made by every student.

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Personalized Website

Click to view our Summer Internship Program websites here.

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Summer program students will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a college admissions expert. They will help walk students through the ins-and-outs of college applications, essay writing, and scholarships.

Students can speak directly with former admissions officers from schools such as Yale, Brown & UCLA. These individuals have a minimum of 15 years of experience in the field of college admissions.

Students are recommended to have their most pressing questions about the college application process ready so they can have them answered by someone who knows the application system inside and out.

Past students have used this time to hone in on their essay topics, decide on how many colleges to apply to, and create application time lines.

College Admissions Panel