Alum of the Month
Nanayaa Kumi
February 2018
London Program
August 2005 Intake
What and where did you study before your Mountbatten internship?
I majored in English and Justice & Peace Studies at Georgetown University.
What made you apply for the Mountbatten programme?
I studied abroad my junior year at Sussex University in Brighton, England. It was such an incredible and life-changing experience that I just knew I had to find a way to get back to the UK after graduation.
Describe your sponsor company and your role within it.
I worked at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (a law firm) in their learning and development department managing training courses for business services staff and trainee solicitors.
What was the highlight/most memorable moment of your working experience during this year?
I had several incredible experiences while working at Freshfields including, designing a training for business services staff, managing language courses, and winning a team award for the best marketing plan during Mountbatten's business plan competition weekend. But my most memorable experience while working at Freshfields was volunteering every week at a local school in Tower Hamlets through Freshfields' community investment program, which helped to fulfill my passion for community service while working abroad.
What was the social highlight/most memorable moment during this year?
There are way too many to count, as we could travel in Europe for much cheaper than it is to travel in America. During my year with Mountbatten I experienced going to Wimbledon, the French Open in Paris, and traveled everywhere from Morocco to Croatia for the first time. My most memorable social highlight was probably the Mountbatten trip we had in Paris and our group dinner at Le Sergent Recruteur--the food was delicious, the drinks were flowing, and friendships were made that still remain to this day.
Please share a little wisdom/philosophy that you acquired during your internship.
Living in London really taught me to live with the adventurous spirit of a tourist no matter where I live, or how long I've lived there. Almost everyday while living in London I explored a new restaurant, museum or musical and it truly made me realize that each day is what you make it, and there is always somewhere new to explore and experience.
If you could change anything about your internship, what would it be?
I only wish I could've experienced the magic of London for longer...
What happened after completing the year - what did you do next?
After completing Mountbatten I worked in Arizona for a year as a recruiter for an education non-profit before going to graduate school at Harvard. I then worked for the Peace Corps for almost 8 years in Washington, DC before moving to NYC.
Where are you now in your working life and what do you do?
I now work for the United Nations in New York City in their Talent Outreach unit encouraging more young professionals, and especially women to apply to the UN and help the world to achieve the
Sustainable Development Goals.
Do you have any future plans that you would like to realise & what are they (career & social)?
I would love to live and work abroad again sometime in the near future. I love that our generation of women feel less pressure to live a conventional life (i.e. get married and have kids) as I honestly love the freedom that my current life allows me to live life on my own terms.
Is there any other information that you would like to be included?
If you are also interested in living and working abroad again by becoming an international civil servant at the United Nations, please visit
careers.un.org.
There you can explore the many different career pathways into the UN, and the world needs your talents now more than ever!
Please feel free to contact me on Mountbatten Connect!