Interns at an International, Humanitarian Organization: Career Pathways and Meaning Making

This qualitative study examined the career shaping experiences and related meaning making processes of 12 interns at The Carter Center, an international, humanitarian organization. Experiences shaping participants' careers were grouped into the following themes—academics and intellectual curiosity; travel abroad; religion; relationships—family, friends, and mentors; and transformative life events. The following themes illustrated the meaning making processes of the participants: Diversity and privilege, interconnectedness, meaningful work, and sense of home. This study suggests that student affairs educators can play an important role in fostering the complex meaning making required of international, humanitarian work.