Hamilton Lugar School International Studies major Korryn Reichard is expanding her horizons this fall at Space Force, a branch of the U.S. military established just three years ago. Reichard says, “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to work as a social media management intern with the USSF Talent Management Office to assist in building a dynamic social media platform for recruiting civilian and military Guardians.”
This position is one of many outstanding opportunities she has pursued while on track to complete her bachelor’s degree in just three years.
Path to HLS
Reichard’s parents started her on the path to exploring the world beyond her personal orbit. “My mom wanted to make sure we understood Spanish,” she said. “Meanwhile, my dad worked overseas and wanted to be able to communicate with the people he worked with, so when I was eight, I started to learn Russian with him.”
Her exposure to other languages and cultures did not stop there. By the time Reichard graduated from Carmel High School she had taken eight years of Latin and five years of French as well. At that point, she knew that she wanted to attend a university where she could pursue International Studies and continue learning Russian.
Reichard didn’t have to travel far to find the Hamilton Lugar School (HLS) which she says was a logical choice. “It is one of the top schools nationally in the areas I wanted to pursue. If you are interested in international studies, IU is absolutely the best school you can find. If you are interested in languages, it is the best school you could pick, too!”
Academics
Reichard arrived at HLS in the fall of 2020, immersed herself in International Studies, and began participating in the Russian Flagship Program. She reflects on the some of her most memorable academic experiences. “Russian literature was an amazing class to understand the culture of the language I was studying,” she said. “I was able to read books on my own time in Russian and understand them better.”
A Comparative Foreign Policy course was particularly impactful for her, too. Reichard says, “We did a simulation on making policy choices in a quickly developing situation. I was the director of the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), and I found out how challenging it is when the people making decisions don’t always have all the information.”
Reichard cites the careers class at HLS as one of the most helpful courses she has taken. She says, “It made everything so much easier. I thought I understood how to interview well, but the class made me rethink everything I thought I knew.”
Beyond the classroom
Reichard has maximized her time outside the classroom as well. Her first internship was as a social media ambassador for the Russian Flagship Program. After that, her interests led her to pursue internship opportunities off campus.
Reichard’s interest in climate policy led her to complete two internships with U.S. Senator Mike Braun. In January 2022, she started a district internship with Senator Braun’s Indianapolis office. She explained, “I was part of constituent services, helping to set up for events, helping with mobile office hours at libraries around the state, and submitting congressional inquiries. I really got to understand the issues facing Indiana at a local level.”
That local internship helped Reichard secure a position in Senator Braun’s Washington D.C. office during the summer of 2022. Reichard says, “I had the opportunity to rotate between three areas: The front office involved taking constituent calls, logging opinions, and passing constituent concerns on to the legislative team. In the leg (legislative) shop I got to work on healthcare and gun control.” She continues, “The press shop was where I thrived the most. I was really lucky, they let me make a lot of posts for social media, create graphics, and make videos.”
As she begins her third year at HLS, Reichard’s internship at Space Force will be her fourth internship.
Planning for the future
As for her own career path, Reichard is on track to graduate in May 2023, completing her bachelor’s degree in just three years.
What does Reichard anticipate after graduation? She says, “For the long term, I am interested in foreign service. But in the meantime, I have so many opportunities in the U.S. that I need to focus on. I have some informal offers from a couple of offices in D.C., and my family just moved to that area, so I may end up there.”
Whether she decides to pursue a career that is domestic, international, or focused on outer space, Reichard shows the potential for a stellar career.
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