Name: Isabella Rowe
Class Year: 2023
Major: Economics and International Studies
Hometown: Roslyn, N.Y.
Internship Organization: Bryn Mawr College Department of Economics
Job Title: Research Assistant
Location: Remote
Award: Bryn Mawr College Internship Fund
What’s happening at your internship?
I am working as a research assistant for Professor Sebastian Anti, one of Bryn Mawr’s professors in the economics department. With Professor Anti, I am conducting econometric research with a particular focus on infrastructure in Cambodia and its effects on intimate partner violence. To analyze these effects, I have been working on compiling an original dataset from other data resources, including the Civil Society Fund in Cambodia, the Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey, and the Domestic Household Survey. This process involves working in a mapping software called QGIS to compile the necessary spatial data alongside a statistical software called Stata to interpret the statistics of these villages. Once the original dataset is compiled, we are looking to integrate it into ordinary least squares so that we may run multivariate regressions to find the link between intimate partner violence and infrastructure in Cambodia.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I applied for this internship because of my interest in econometrics and a desire to know more about how to design experiments and compile and clean original datasets. I wanted to gain knowledge and experience that could not be attained in a classroom setting. While some coding was involved in my classes at Bryn Mawr, it was not nearly to the same extent as it has been in my role as a research assistant. I am lucky enough to have learned to use a software completely unbeknown to me a month ago as I continue to push the boundaries and continue to learn and grow. I was particularly interested in this internship because it was a subject matter I was unfamiliar with going into the 2020-21 academic year and I have quickly learned to love it.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced at your internship?
The biggest challenge I have faced at my internship has been navigating the ways in which to complete assigned tasks. I am currently working with one software I had never used prior to the internship; it is quite complex and has taken me some time to adjust to using it properly. Also, considering that my internship is remote, a lot of responsibility falls upon me to try my best to learn the proper code myself before reaching out for help. While this has not been easy, I do not feel it has set me back and I have learned great amounts about the subject matter in addition to coding techniques and commands. I am also aware that when it comes time for me to compile my thesis in economics, these will be great skills that will save me much time later down the road and allow for very precise levels of analysis.
What is most rewarding about your internship?
Since my internship involves vast amounts of coding, it is very rewarding when I have researched a particular way to complete a task and the code is successful. Especially because I am at the novice level with this type of coding, a lot of trial and error is involved in the process, so I greatly appreciate when the code works in my favor.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.