Dakota Olson (Global Resource Systems and Agriculture and Society) knows that internships in the White House require expert communicators. That's why his ability to speak Spanish and his fluency in Advanced American Sign Language gave him a leg up on the other 10,000 applicants seeking an internship. Dakota ended up as part of Michelle Obama's personal communications team, where he was inspired to serve others and make peoples' lives better.
Dakota's combination of majors was perfect preparation for serving others. In Agriculture and Society, he combined economics, political science and sociology to inform communications and laws related to agriculture, food and natural resources. His Global Resource Systems major applied this in countries like Haiti, Mexico, Spain and Holland. He even worked alongside Ugandan college students to train and manage sustainable compost pits for rural primary schools.
Dakota developed skills that would be relevant in any career path including leadership, team development, and management. But more importantly, he learned how communication and a commitment to public service could influence positive change in our society.
For more information, check out Five Questions with White House Intern Dakota Olson in STORIES.