Continuing IES Abroad’s Partnership with the Posse Foundation

Sep 10, 2026

IES Abroad's Access & Strategic Partnerships team just wrapped up hosting their fourth summer of internship opportunities in partnership with the Posse Foundation, marking another successful chapter in our shared commitment to empowering an inclusive group of student leaders. We're proud to be Posse's only international-education career partner, allowing Posse Scholars to gain global experience and professional development in the field of study abroad.

With this internship program, we look forward to working with motivated Posse Scholars, like our 2026 intern Zahra, to highlight international education as a career path, IES Abroad as a leading study abroad organization, and our programs as great opportunities for Posse Scholars to study abroad with. For our team, building pathways to study abroad from organizations like Posse and others is one way we continue to live out our mission of educating students to become global leaders.

Meet Zahra Rahimi:

Zahra is a Junior at The College of William & Mary where she is studying Political Science, Film, and Media Studies.

Zahra founded the Zahra Insight Academy, a nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for young girls in Afghanistan. Apart from her studies and nonprofit work, Zahra is an Associate Delegate for the Refugee Congress that advocates for local policy for U.S. Refugee populations, speaks four languages, and is a visual storyteller.

“I used to think about access as opening a door. This summer made me realize that opening the door is only part of the work. We also have to ask who knows the door exists, who feels they belong on the other side of it, and, perhaps most importantly, who is still missing and why! My time at IES Abroad taught me that those questions can reveal barriers that numbers alone cannot explain. I’m leaving this experience with a deeper understanding of what it means to create access, one that goes beyond making opportunities available and requires us to think intentionally about how we design, communicate, and build pathways that allow more students to imagine themselves taking part.”
Zahra R. (The College of William & Mary)

Internship Overview

Key Responsibilities: Zahra supported efforts to advance access and belonging initiatives through research, resource development, and data analysis. Her work included reviewing existing resources, identifying gaps, analyzing enrollment data, researching partner university recruitment strategies, and developing recommendations to support more inclusive student outreach and engagement.
Notable Projects: Zahra conducted a review of the Access & Belonging Resource Hub and identified opportunities to expand resources related to disability, dietary restrictions, and religion. She analyzed enrollment data and researched partner university recruitment strategies to identify trends and inform future efforts. Drawing on industry research and personal experience as a first-generation student, she developed outreach recommendations focused on first-generation students and Pell Grant recipients. She also drafted workshop concepts designed to highlight available resources and support more accessible and inclusive study abroad experiences.
Skills Gained: Through conducting research, analyzing data, and developing recommendations, Zahra strengthened her analytical and strategic thinking skills. She also enhanced her ability to evaluate existing materials, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop ideas to support access, inclusion, and student engagement initiatives.