Richard Garcia

Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Current City: Washington, DC

Why did you choose McCourt? I chose McCourt because of its strong curriculum in the research process. Research had always presented an opportunity for growth for me, and as a dual MSFS/MPP student, I’m grateful that I was able to supplement my Foreign Service coursework with McCourt’s coursework in qualitative/quantitative research skills and overall data analysis.

What professional/ work experience did you have prior to coming to McCourt? Prior to beginning my studies at Georgetown, I served as Chief of Staff at the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In my role, I helped lead the chamber’s daily operations to support U.S. latino-owned businesses through advocacy, training, and events. Before that, I interned at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain in their Office of Political Affairs.

What has been the best part of your experience so far? While it has sometimes been challenging, it is also very fulfilling to see myself learn and implement research and data analysis skills that seemed so foreign to me before!

What internships have you had so far during your time at McCourt? I conducted research on institutions of electoral governance in Latin America under Professor Kapiszewski at the Georgetown Department of Government, served as a Project Director for Amigos de las Américas in Costa Rica over the summer, and interned at the Organization of American States (OAS) where I joined the Supply Reduction Unit (SRU) team within the OAS Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD).

Undergraduate University, degree, and major: California State University Long Beach, B.A. International Studies & B.A. Economics

Hobbies/ Interests: Economic Development, International Development, Small Business, Entrepreneurship, International Affairs, Foreign Service, Diplomacy, Latin America, Drug Control, International Trade, Travel

Reach out to me about: Moving to DC, internship opportunities in DC, working at a national advocacy nonprofit, Latino organizations in DC