Kamilla Khabibrakhmanova

26 Bluebird Dr.

Syosset, NY 11791

(516)496-4645

kik2@georgetown.edu

To Whom It May Concern:,

I am a junior at Georgetown University, studying at the School of Foreign Service and majoring in Culture and Politics, with a minor in Contemporary Arab Studies. I’m writing to you because I’m interested in an internship with Transparency International at the Washington, DC office for this summer. As a student of international affairs, I feel that my studies and background have prepared me to help with the running of such an important organization. I also feel than this internship could help me with my long-term goals.

The issue of bribery has been an interest for me even before I first started studying international affairs. I was born and spent many formative years of my life living in Russia. There, it is impossible to imagine life without the realities of bribing and corruption. Its presence in the political system is so well known that hardly anyone sees it as a problem to solve, rather a fact of life that must simply be dealt with on a daily basis. People have made themselves accustomed to this system and have simply learned to give and take bribes as part of their normal routine. Seeing this has made me see how necessary it is to actually do something to change the system. It is impossible to have any true equality while bribery and corruption are still present. For example, I know that in Russia I would not have stood a chance at getting into a top university whithout having my parents give away a nice sum of money to the department head. In the United States, the system still isn’t perfect, but at least I was able to work hard, get good grades in high school, and get accepted into a top university without paying anybody off.

I’m prepared to spend the summer months doing my best to help Transparency International with its important mission. My previous intern experience with the Eurasia Center has shown me some things about how internationally-focused organizations are run, although I’m sure that Transparency International will be a bit different since it is a much bigger and more influential establishment.

Currently, I am studying abroad in Paris, France, until the beginning of June. I would thus be available to intern, full-time, from the middle of June to the end of August. Since I go to school in the District of Columbia, I would also be available to continue interning part-time during the school year, if necessary. I hope that you will consider me for this internship position and allow me to help in whatever way I can this summer.

Sincerely,

Kamilla Khabibrakhmanova