Zain Alzubaidy, a senior anthropology major at George Mason University, recently completed an internship with the United States Department of Commerce. He worked in the Advocacy Center, a government service that provides commercial diplomatic support to American businesses in foreign markets.
The majority of Alzubaidy’s internship focused on potential partners for the Advocacy Center. He was responsible for researching applicants and presenting his findings to his colleagues, who ultimately decided if they would partner with the company.
One of his most memorable projects was crafting a persuasive letter to a foreign head of state on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce at the time, making the case for a business to be awarded a multi-trillion-dollar contract.

“It’s one thing to read about these deals in the news, but it’s entirely different to take part in them. Assignments like those made me proud that I was part of something notable,” he said.
His passion for understanding people and cultures is what initially led him to take anthropology at the international baccalaureate level as a senior at Annandale High School. He enjoyed it so much that he decided to major in the subject at George Mason.
“I can recall being astounded by how people have such different ways of thinking and living,” he said. “My experience in that class stuck with me, and when I got to George Mason it felt an easy decision to study anthropology.”
He specifically credits his writing classes with teaching him the skills necessary for his role. “I developed strong research and writing skills [in those classes], which I absolutely needed to use in the Advocacy Center. If I didn’t have the writing and research skills that I developed at George Mason, I would not have been able perform my job to the best of my ability. "
Alzubaidy graduates this May and his future goals include doing further diplomatic work, possibly in the same vein as his Advocacy Center work, and maybe even running for public office down the road.
“I feel like I have not only the competency and capability to do well in those areas, but also the right intentions,” he said. “Helping others will always be a goal of mine, so I will try my best to do that wherever I decide to work.”
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