This summer, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Safia Swimelar teaches New York City: Living in the Global Community using the city as a microcosm to help students understand the diversity and complexity of global humanity. The course explores the meaning of NYC as a global city and how cultural, political and economic aspects of globalization are reflected and visualized there.

鈥淓ven though I teach political science, we鈥檙e talking about the globalization of hip-hop, food, 9/11, identity and culture,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淭hey all fit the idea of New York as a global city.鈥�

Students spend Monday through Thursday interning in industries ranging from finance and marketing to communications and graphic design. On Fridays, everyone comes together for weekly seminars, encouraging students to connect their workplace experiences with broader discussions around globalization, identity and culture.

In true Elon fashion, learning extends beyond the classroom. 鈥淲e try to match the academic topic with some kind of hands-on experience, whether that鈥檚 a museum, a tour or meeting people in the community,鈥� Swimelar says. This summer鈥檚 experiential learning opportunities included a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a World Cup watch party, a Juneteenth celebration in Central Park, a performance of 鈥淩agtime鈥� on Broadway, the Pride Parade, a tour of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, an international food tour in Queens and a private tour of the New York Stock Exchange, to name a few.

At its core, the course is about helping students understand the world from a new perspective. 鈥淚 really want them to understand that the United States 鈥� and every city in it 鈥� is inherently connected to the rest of the world,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淭he global is everywhere.鈥�

By the end of the summer, students bring home much more than academic knowledge and internship experience. Living in Brooklyn, navigating the subway and working full-time internships provide a realistic glimpse into life in one of the world鈥檚 largest cities.

鈥淔or many of them, this is the first time they feel like they鈥檙e actually living here instead of just visiting,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淲hen I read their journals each week, many are saying, 鈥業 think I really do want to move to New York.鈥欌��

Whether students pursue careers in business, the arts, communications, finance or public policy, Swimelar hopes they leave New York with a deeper appreciation for the people, cultures and ideas that shape communities both locally and globally.

福利亚洲国产精品 the Professor

Professor Safia Swimelar has taught political science and policy studies at Elon since 2008. Her teaching and research focus on international relations, human rights, European politics, global studies and film and politics. As a former Fulbright Scholar, Swimelar draws on her international experience to help students better understand global politics and contemporary issues.

Recommended Materials

• 鈥淭he Colossus of New York,鈥� by Colson Whitehead
• 鈥淗ip hop鈥檚 Enduring Echo: From New York鈥檚 Streets to Global Beats,鈥� The Elephant, 2023
• 鈥淎merica After 9/11,鈥� PBS Frontline documentary

鈥淚 just spontaneously decided to do it. I was like, ‘You know what? I’m not doing anything this summer. Why not?’ And it was super spontaneous,鈥� Moorhead said.聽 鈥淚t didn’t really kick in untill halfway through the second semester in my seminar class, and I was like, ‘Oh, I’m really going to LA.’鈥�

Moorhead is an intern for Smart Entertainment, where she gets to provide feedback and read scripts for movies.

鈥淲e also get to make our own hypothetical cast list and director list that we can then give to our producer. So we’ve really been doing some awesome work,鈥� Moorhead said, 鈥淚 actually feel like my work has meaning and that I am making a difference by helping out the assistant, who’s helping out our producer.鈥欌��

Moorhead credits Elon for helping her get an internship in LA

鈥淚 honestly don’t think I would have gotten this internship if it weren’t for the help of the program and the professional development office,鈥� Moorhead said.

Moorhead was deciding between going to the LA program and the DC program, but ended up going to LA because class excursions to Warner Brothers to see filming for the third season of HBO’s The Pitt appealed more to her interest in the film industry.

鈥淚 ultimately decided to go to LA because it felt like the perfect place to start in the film industry.鈥� Moorhead said. 鈥淵ou get the best experience in the entire world of how the industry operates, and that is mainly where the film industry takes place.鈥�

Zoey Hayes 鈥�29 is interning with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as a Student-Athlete Development intern. She heard about the program in Charlotte through her work at Elon’s Isabella Cannon Global Education Center, but didn’t apply until after she got her internship. Hayes said that through her internship, she gets to travel and interact with people, which is something she loves to do.

鈥淚 feel like an intern is just the whole ‘nine to five life,’ kind of getting used to being in an office.鈥� Hayes said. 鈥淵es, I get to travel, which is amazing, and I get to have these days where I’m not in the office, and I’m dealing with people, which I love people.鈥�

Hayes also credits the program with introducing her to new people while also knowing and having friends in the program.

鈥淭hat was great to already have friends here, but it’s been great getting to know other people that I probably would have never talked to at Elon,鈥� Hayes said.

Through her internship, Hayes traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend panels on sports, where she toured the National Archives and visited the United States Supreme Court.

鈥淥ne-hundred percent, go do it.鈥� Hayes said, of encouraging other Elon students to apply for the program. 鈥淏ecause it’s not only that you get an internship out of this, you also get the foundation of living in a whole new city.鈥�

Finn Wilkinson 鈥�27, who is studying in New York City this summer, says the energy of the city and the growing film scene is part of the reason she applied.

鈥淚t just made sense for me to come up here,鈥� Wilkinson said, 鈥淎lso, I just really love the city. It’s so vibrant, so full of life. There’s always something going on, something to do. So it’s just a great place to also study away.

Wilkinson interns at Mad Realities in New York and said the highlight of the internship is the hands-on experience it offers.

鈥淚 got to help out on one of their pilot sets and get to see how shows come together on a higher professional level.鈥� Wilkinson said,聽 鈥淚’ve also gotten to help brainstorm and help develop the upcoming shows that they’re also pitching.鈥�

Outside of the classroom and internship, Wilkinson said the community in New York was something that stood out, especially during the NBA finals when the New York Knicks played the San Antonio Spurs. After the Game 3 loss in New York, Wilkinson felt the energy of the city.

鈥淚mmediately, the next day: new slogan,聽 t-shirts, hats, everything,鈥� Wilkinson said, 鈥淭hat’s the sense of community that you just feel being in New York, and it’s really cool to get to be a part of that during a summer where so much is happening.鈥�

Through her internship, Wilkinson said she has learned new skills through conversations.

鈥淚t’s been really cool to be able to be a part of these conversations that are defining how the industry is moving and getting to be in the room for those conversations. I’ve learned a lot from it.鈥�

Wilkson said she hopes people don’t feel intimidated by New York if they are considering applying, and that the city has something for everyone.

鈥淚 would say, don’t be afraid to jump in. I think a lot of the time people think of New York as this big, scary thing that is so massive and so unconquerable,鈥� Wilkinson said. 鈥淏ut it’s really not; you quickly find your rhythm, and you find the places that you are supposed to be鈥�

Three Elon Los Angeles area alumnae attended the world premiere of their grant-funded films at the sold-out inaugural 福利亚洲国产精品 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California.

Julie Boyd 鈥�15, Bex Evans 鈥�16 and Mirai 鈥�07 were recipients of $3,000 each through the 2025-26 福利亚洲国产精品 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition last fall.

Grant recipients were selected through a review and ranking process by a selection committee comprised of industry leaders, including several Elon alumni. The selection committee was co-chaired by Jordan Roman 鈥�15.

To view photos from the festival, .

Production of the three short films 鈥� Boyd鈥檚 鈥淭he Life and Times of,鈥� Evans鈥檚 鈥淪hadow Dusk鈥� and Mirai鈥檚 鈥�#StopAsianKate鈥� 鈥� took place in the spring and included opportunities for spring 2026 福利亚洲国产精品 Los Angeles students to participate in and observe the production process.

In addition to the screenings of the three films, the festival included a panel discussion with Elon alumni Lindsey Emerson, vice president of streaming, global strategy & operations at Paramount Skydance and Alex Stevenson, account lead at Creative Artists Agency. They each offered perspective and advice to both current students and alumni about creating job opportunities and career growth in a shifting industry landscape.

A meet-and–connect reception on one of the studio鈥檚 back lot streets followed the festival screening program.

Unique alumni engagement opportunities for Elon Los Angeles students are at the core of the 福利亚洲国产精品 Los Angeles experience. Based in the heart of historic Hollywood, applications are now being accepted for students to participate in the spring 2027 and National Campus Programs Los Angeles experience that also features specific LA-focused academic courses, site-based internships and community service.

Students and alumni in Washington, D.C., visited American University’s School of Public Affairs, where they learned about graduate education, careers in public service, and the many opportunities available through advanced study in law, business, and public and international service.

In New York City, students and alums were welcomed by Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business for an evening exploring graduate programs across multiple disciplines, including social service and the humanities. A highlight of both programs was the meaningful engagement with Elon alumni living and working in the city, who shared candid reflections about the transition from college to career, pursuing graduate education, and building fulfilling professional lives. Together, the university partners and alumni provided students with both practical information and authentic perspectives that encouraged them to imagine new possibilities for life after Elon.

The experiences reflect Elon’s commitment to preparing students for lives of purpose through intentional collaboration across campus. By bringing together the career expertise of the Student Professional Development Center, the immersive learning opportunities offered through Study USA and National Campus Programs, and the lifelong connections fostered by Alumni Engagement, students were able to explore graduate education while strengthening their professional networks and broadening their vision for the future.

The 鈥淣ever Be at a Loss for Words鈥� workshop idea was created through a partnership between 福利亚洲国产精品 and The Groundlings, an industry improv training leader in Los Angeles. The workshop was led by actor, improv performer and The Groundlings improv coach Andres Parada. Parada has spent many years teaching actors critical communication skills that prepare them for anything that comes up in an audition, in a live performance or on a film set. Actors Will Ferrell, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and Lisa Kudrow are among the many well-known alumni of The Groundlings.

Now, Elon LA students have learned how to apply those techniques to benefit them along both their career and personal journeys ahead.

福利亚洲国产精品 Los Angeles, offered by Elon鈥檚聽听补苍诲听National Campus Programs, offers spring and summer immersive experiences for students that feature academic courses taught by instructors who are working professionals in their fields and on-site experiential learning at internship sites across the city. The Elon LA experience also includes alumni engagement, community service and unique professional development opportunities.

Based in historic Hollywood, applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

Los Angeles has been serving as one of the key U.S. locations for the FIFA World Cup 2026; Skladan鈥檚 work responsibilities have brought her to LA for the duration of the games this summer.

Students and alumni guests had the opportunity to learn about her impressive career in sports so far and her journeyposition to her current . 鈥淚t is wonderful to be back at Elon LA鈥檚 home base at The Preserve, in the same space where my classes were held and from where I began the journey to launch my post-graduation professional career,鈥� Skladan told the gathered group.

Each semester, 福利亚洲国产精品 Los Angeles brings together alumni and students for conversations that benefit emerging young professionals in a wide variety of career fields. The program offers an exciting, immersive and robust spring semester and summer program experience in the heart of historic Hollywood through Elon鈥檚聽听补苍诲 National Campus Programs. Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

From production, post-production, content creation, producing, writing, directing and performing, the panel offered a wide range of information to students of diverse majors who are in Los Angeles this summer for a unique core capstone course, experiential learning, alumni engagement and community service.

Zaman, who works at the post-production house Picture Shop, shared the excitement of being in the middle of the artistry of post-production. Among Picture Shop鈥檚 most recent projects was providing color correction work on Steven Spielberg鈥檚 current film 鈥淒isclosure Day.鈥� She is also a first-time site supervisor, mentoring summer student Hammond Sherouse at a first-time Elon Los Angeles Picture Shop internship.

Campisano, who served as a selection committee member for the first 福利亚洲国产精品 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition last fall, spoke about the wide range of professional creative opportunities that await students who return to Los Angeles after graduation. Campisano is an award-winning filmmaker who often turns to the Elon Los Angeles alumni community when staffing and casting projects.

Kestlinger is a Physical Production Manager for television and feature films at SK Global Entertainment. Seawright, an actor, model, and entertainment and brand marketing specialist, currently performs at Disneyland Resort.

福利亚洲国产精品 Los Angeles offers an exciting, immersive spring semester and summer program experience in the heart of historic Hollywood through Elon鈥檚 and National Campus Programs. Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

On Friday, June 12, students enrolled in the Study USA Washington, D.C. 鈥淐apital Connections鈥� program had the opportunity to visit the United States Capitol, where they learned more about Congress and the architectural history of the Capitol Building on a special tour organized by Jacob Stoken 鈥�22, policy aid to House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. After the tour, Stoken sat down with students in the leader鈥檚 office in the Capitol for an extended Q&A session, where he shared insights about getting started as a Congressional staffer and provided an inside perspective on how Congress operates day-to-day. After the Q&A, students traveled with Stoken to the Rayburn House Office Building for additional conversation.

Joel Shelton, faculty director for Study USA, Washington, D.C. and associate professor of political science and public policy, and Tom Kerr, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Policy, joined students at the Capitol.

鈥淚 am exceedingly grateful to alumni like Jacob for supporting the 鈥楥apital Connections鈥� program in its first year,鈥� Shelton said. 鈥淚鈥檝e known Jacob since he was a student in my Philosophy, Politics, and Economics capstone course, and it is especially meaningful to see him thriving in Washington and to experience how generously he is mentoring the next generation of Elon students.鈥�

The visit to the Capitol is part of the innovative curriculum for 鈥淐apital Connections:

Power, People, and Place in Washington, D.C.,鈥� is a place-based capstone seminar in the Elon Core Curriculum that integrates classroom learning and direct engagement with D.C.鈥檚 institutions, cultural sites, and neighborhoods. Now in the fourth week of the nine-week program, students are busy interning in public and private sector institutions across the D.C. metro area, engaging with alumni, and attending special events and programming around Juneteenth and the upcoming 250th Independence Day celebration. This weekend, students will attend the Shakespeare Theatre Company鈥檚 widely acclaimed production of Othello and will join a special tour of Klein Theatre led by Company Manager Morgan Engle 鈥�22.

Students interested in this experience for summer 2027 may begin applying on Sept. 1. For more information about the program, contact Anna Smith, director of Study USA.

Tickets are now on sale for the inaugural 福利亚洲国产精品 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival on Wednesday evening, July 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the historic Sony Pictures Studios lot, in Culver City, California.

The festival will feature the world premieres of short films from three Elon Los Angeles area alumna who were recipients of last fall鈥檚 福利亚洲国产精品 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition funds.

Julia Boyd 鈥�15, Bex Evans 鈥�16 and Mirai 鈥�07 each received grants of $3,000 for the production of their original short films. Their projects were selected for funding from among numerous submissions received. A selection committee comprised of industry professionals and Elon alumni reviewed, ranked and voted on all of the submissions received; Boyd, Evans and Mirai鈥檚 projects were the three top selections from this process.

The short film festival will also feature a conversation with Elon alumni Lindsey Emerson, vice president of streaming, global strategy & operations at Paramount Skydance and Alex Stevenson, account lead at Creative Artists Agency, about the current state of the entertainment industry and the impact these shifts are having on students transitioning from college to the professional world, as well as how current working professionals might navigate the new landscape for new opportunities.

A reception will follow the festival presentation with the opportunity for current Elon Los Angeles summer students to connect with Elon alumni and other industry professionals.

Limited availability tickets for the film festival are $25 each, with 100% of all ticket revenue designated to support next year鈥檚 grant competition.

For information and ticket purchases, and for contributions to the grant competition fund, please visit the .

This year鈥檚 students will spend the summer interning in fields ranging from media production to public policy, environmental research, business innovation and community development. At the heart of this experience is the opportunity to聽gain real-world experience while exploring the cultural and professional landscapes of their host cities, while earning academic credit through coursework.

Charlotte:聽Exploring sports, marketing, business and beyond聽

As students arrived in the South End of Charlotte, they were welcomed by Director of Elon Charlotte Karen Neff and Program Assistant Emma Hash. This summer marks an especially exciting chapter for the Queen City site, as it hosts Study USA students while also launching the inaugural Summer Business Institute聽(SBI).

The new 10鈥憌eek聽SBI聽offers Elon students the opportunity to earn a Business Administration minor in a single summer through an immersive blend of coursework, professional development, and experiential learning.

Study USA students will pair their internships with a dynamic geography course taught by Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies聽Ryan Kirk.聽Through fieldwork and urban exploration, students will examine Charlotte鈥檚 growth, infrastructure, and identity,聽gaining a deeper understanding of how the city became the economic and cultural hub it is today.

SBI聽students聽will balance four business courses with聽job鈥憇hadowing聽experiences designed to connect classroom learning with real-world聽applications.聽Together, all students across both programs will take part in excursions that highlight Charlotte鈥檚 innovation, history and community.

Move鈥慽n聽day set the tone for an engaging summer ahead, featuring a welcome mixer hosted by Foster Flats, orientation sessions, a聽city鈥憌ide聽scavenger hunt, and a hands-on cooking class that brought聽students聽together.

Los Angeles: Launching creative careers in the entertainment capital

Arriving in the heart of the entertainment industry, students were warmly welcomed by Director of Elon Los Angeles聽Brad Lemack as they settled into their housing聽just聽minutes from major studios and production hubs.

Students聽spend the summer interning with film production companies, talent agencies, digital media firms and聽theatre companies. Alongside their internships,聽students take a Core Capstone course taught by聽Cinema and Television Arts聽Professor聽Doug Kass,聽examining how visionaries and innovators have transformed Los Angeles, and how the cycle of invention and reinvention continues to shape the city鈥檚 commerce, creativity and cultural diversity.

Move聽in聽buzzed聽with excitement as students met their roommates, explored their neighborhood, and prepared for their first week of classes and internship onboarding.聽The following day included an orientation session at The Preserve, where students will have class each week, followed by an afternoon exploring The Getty, the Grove and L.A.鈥檚 Farmers Market.

New York City: Immersed in media, business and cultural innovation聽

Political Science and Public Policy聽Professor Safia聽Swimelar听补苍诲 Program Assistant Hailey Duartes welcomed聽the students聽to Williamsburg, a student-friendly neighborhood in the heart of Brooklyn.

Students聽will intern across sectors,聽including journalism,聽public relations, marketing,聽media production and more.聽The聽Core Capstone聽course, taught by Professor Swimelar,聽complements these experiences. In聽the聽course description,聽Swimelar聽notes, 鈥渢o call New York City a microcosm of the global community is not exaggeration鈥� This course uses New York City as a microcosm to model and understand the diversity and complexity of global humanity.鈥澛燬tudents聽will explore the diversity of values that New Yorkers hold and examine important social, political, and religious issues at play throughout the city.

Students spent their first day navigating their new neighborhood, settling into their apartments, and聽exploring the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Washington, D.C.: Engaging with policy, advocacy and public service聽

Students聽were welcomed聽into the nation鈥檚 capital聽by Professor Joel Shelton,聽Program Assistant聽Abby Wright, and Ashley Pinney, Director of National Campus.聽Students聽will spend the summer聽living in the heart of聽NoMa听补苍诲听interning with congressional offices, federal agencies,聽law firms, advocacy groups, and聽more.

The聽coursework, the inaugural Capital Connections: Power, People and Place in Washington, D.C. spearheaded by Joel Shelton, associate professor of political science听补苍诲 public policy, 鈥渆xplores 鈥榯he聽District鈥� as a place where politics and policy meet culture,聽economy听补苍诲 community.鈥澛燭hrough engaging walking tours, museum visits, and cultural experiences, students will gain a firsthand look at the decision-making processes that shape the intersection of power, culture, economy, and identity in the nation鈥檚 capital.

Move-in聽included聽orientation sessions,聽community building activities,听补苍诲 preparation for the聽fast-paced聽professional environments聽they鈥檒l聽soon enter.