The Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization (AHI) is pleased to announce that Undergraduate Fellow Margaret (Maggie) Joyce from New Canaan, Connecticut, has received a summer internship as a Research Associate at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) in Washington, D. C. In 2013. Maggie was one of three undergraduates to receive the annual Carl B. Menges Prize, given on Constitution Day (September 17) for academic achievement.  Ms. Joyce participated in the AHI’s Sixth Annual Menges Colloquium held last year at the Turning Stone Resort and produced an outstanding paper in which she examined the United States Civil War through the lens of Samuel Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations.”

Maggie Joyce (far right) with two additional Menges award winners at special dinner in their honor.

COHA, a Washington D.C. based think tank founded in 1975, was “established to promote the common interests of the hemisphere, raise the visibility of regional affairs and increase the importance of the inter-American relationship, as well as encourage the formulation of rational and constructive U.S. policies towards Latin America.”  “Originally, I applied to COHA,” she said, “because it combined my passions for Latin American studies, international relations, and writing. My passion for Latin American studies began my senior year of high school. I conducted an independent study that combined Latin American history and US history to examine Latin American-US relations post World War II, especially during the Cold War. My independent study absolutely captivated me; what began as a project intended only for my senior year of high school truly became an insatiable fascination. I major in world politics with a concentration on Latin America and minor in economics at Hamilton College.  As a Research Associate, about 75% of my time at COHA will be spent researching and authoring news articles, press releases, and pieces for The Washington Report on the Hemisphere, COHA’s bi-monthly newspaper, on topics relevant to US-Latin American relations.”  In addition Ms. Joyce will continue to study international politics off-campus in the fall in Argentina.

AHI Charter Fellow Robert Paquette has taught Ms. Joyce in several of classes.  “Maggie has shown considerable promise as a young scholar,” Paquette observed.  “I like her work ethic, attention to detail, and her response to criticism.  She is well on her way to a successful career.  A representative from COHA contacted me and was well aware of the quality of the students affiliated with the AHI.  I was delighted to give Maggie a big thumbs up.”