I spent my summer interning at the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission, under the supervision of the Executive Director Christine Long. Through this position, I was able to both develop more thorough analytical skills, along with learn more about the political and functional processes of state commissions.

My summer projects involved analyzing the prevalence of human trafficking in North Carolina. I looked at statewide data on charges related to trafficking across the state along with tips from the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

I very much enjoyed my experience working with the Commission. Christine gave me a lot of freedom to explore the data in ways that interested me. I was also able to further develop my skills for making reports with the analyses I completed. I was able to present my findings at the statewide Commission meeting in July, and to participate in multiple committee meetings over the summer as well.

Through my internship, I developed a close working relationship with Christine, and have been able to extend my time at the Commission. I am currently working on two grants with the Commission, one in which I am creating a resource directory for all agencies across the state partaking in anti-trafficking work. For the other, we are partnering with WRAL to create training videos aiming to debunk common myths about human trafficking and raise awareness across the state.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission and Christine this summer. I gained a better understanding of what trafficking looks like in North Carolina, and further developed skills that will be essential throughout my career. I am very grateful for the Carlucci family’s generous support, which enabled me to work with the Commission.