Santiago Internship Stories: Desperate Times have Nurtured a Determined Derin

July 28, 2020

Derin Sezercan is a Barnard sophomore participating in two internships handled through the Santiago Center, one with Professor Arturo Cifuentes at Universidad Católica’s Latin American Center on Economic and Social Policy (Clapes UC) and one with the Chilean-North American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).

Clapes UC researches and develops ideas for economic development, increase of productivity, employment creation, and investment growth. In that context, Sezercan is working on a research project about the art market with Professor Cifuentes, centered around the work of women abstract expressionists. This project combines her interests in art and finance, which fits into her hopes to pursue a hobby in art investment.

In her internship with AmCham, Sezercan is creating a research file about business relations between the United States and Chile for investors and preparing a report on Chile’s economic growth since 1990. Interested in a career in macro-finance, she says this internship enables her “to develop a profound understanding about international business relations” while also honing her skills in conducting macroeconomic and nationwide research, which she expects to apply later in her career.

At Barnard, she is majoring in Economics and Statistics and minoring in Art History. Outside of class, she is a volunteer for Matriculate, where she provides college advising for high school students, working toward a fairer application process for everyone. Sezercan is also passionate about art and music. She says: “I believe integrating art into your life or your job is crucial for development and decision making.”

She has been hard at work during this time, with her motto being “desperate times nurture determined people!”