Alexis Orton

Orton

"As I stood in the State Department on Sept. 11, 2001, and saw the members of my office work with calm dedication night and day, I realized that beauty is not necessarily risking your life for your country, but finding some way to dedicate your life to furthering its principles."

  • Alumni of: 2002 College Scholarship Program
  • Hometown: Cherry Hill, NJ

Biography

On Sept. 10, 2001, Alexis Orton began an internship with the Department of State in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. On Sept. 11, the office quickly assumed responsibility for staffing the State Operations Center. As an intern on the task Force Alexis prepared materials for Secretary of State Colin Powell and fielded calls from the Pentagon about Operation Enduring Freedom. "I was overjoyed to find a way to channel my efforts and energy to serve my country, no matter how small," she says.

Alexis says it was difficult to leave that post, even to study abroad in Strasbourg, France, but she returned to school with a renewed energy and enthusiasm for her studies in international relations. She would like to work in the area of arms control and disarmament issues, "especially to prevent new proliferation threats from terrorists and rogue states."

In the summer of 2002, Alexis interned with Booz Allen Hamilton and worked as a consultant to the Department of State Consequence Management Team, where she assisted with activities to respond to international WMD incidents. Alexis plans to obtain her master's degree in international relations in the spring of 2003 and will pursue a career in civil service.

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