Archer Fellowship Program Alumni Profiles
Derin Kiykioglu
Spring 2012 Archer Fellow
Internship: U.S. Department of State Bureau of European Affairs,
Department of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Education
The University of Texas at Austin
B.A. Government, B.A. Psychology; May 2012
The University of California, Berkeley School of Law
J.D. May 2017
Career
Associate at Schiff Hardin, LLP- beginning October 2017
Clerk in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California-previous
Spring 2012 Archer Fellow
Internship: U.S. Department of State Bureau of European Affairs,
Department of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Education
The University of Texas at Austin
B.A. Government, B.A. Psychology; May 2012
The University of California, Berkeley School of Law
J.D. May 2017
Career
Associate at Schiff Hardin, LLP- beginning October 2017
Clerk in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California-previous
“My time as an Archer Fellow convinced me of the importance of public service. It also showed me that individuals have the power to effect meaningful change.
Q & A with Derin
Please tell us more about your Archer Fellowship Program internship.
I interned at the State Department when the Department of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor was preparing its annual Human Rights Reports. These reports include extensively detailed information on the human rights conditions in each country. I assisted in researching human rights conditions in certain European countries, which led me to learn about particular human rights violations I never knew existed. My supervisors were genuinely interested in discussing my findings with me. When I wasn’t doing research, I sat in on meetings and toured the beautiful Truman Building. On one occasion, I attended a speech by then-Secretary of State Clinton honoring survivors of the Holocaust.
What has been your general career path?
Since earning my undergraduate degree, I have pursued a path of service. I joined Teach for America in San Antonio, where I taught middle school special education and reading intervention. The summer before I went to law school, I was a School Operations Manager at Teach for America’s Houston Institute. During law school, I worked at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office in the Labor and Employment Group, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California in the Strike Force and Violent Crimes Unit, and the East Bay Community Law Center’s Education Defense and Justice for Youth Clinic.
How has your experience as an Archer Fellow influenced your career path and goals?
My time as an Archer Fellow convinced me of the importance of public service. It also showed me that individuals have the power to effect meaningful change. D.C. is the perfect place for idealistic individuals to see that they are not alone in their work. It is full of people maximizing potential and beating the odds every day. I am so glad I had the opportunity to be an Archer Fellow.
What did you value the most about your Archer Fellowship experience?
The thing I value most about my experience as an Archer Fellow is my new perspective on American government. I enjoyed learning from each Fellow, whether through an in-class simulation, a political debate, or a casual conversation about what had happened at everyone’s internship that day. Fellows represented a wide range of internships, so I got an inside perspective of what it was like to work in Congress, in the Supreme Court and at the White House. I was constantly in awe of my classmates and soaked up what they had learned—both personally and professionally.
What do you value the most about being an Archer Fellow alumna?
Being a part of the Archer Center network has, first and foremost, given me friends around the world. Archer Fellows continue to do amazing things, and I’ve enjoyed catching up with them personally and watching their adventures unfold on social media. I know that they will be there for me if I need help finding housing or a job, but I also know they will be around when I want to reminisce about our time as Fellows.
What is your favorite memory as an Archer Fellow?
My favorite memories are my walks to and from work. I worked in a windowless cubicle, so I preferred to walk to and from work rather than take the Metro. Sometimes, I’d walk with other Archer Fellows. Other times, I’d walk alone and listen to the sounds of the city. I would take detours on days when I didn’t have class to see the Tidal Basin, especially when the city was blooming in the spring. I loved watching the seasons change from winter to spring with each passing day.
Please tell us more about your Archer Fellowship Program internship.
I interned at the State Department when the Department of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor was preparing its annual Human Rights Reports. These reports include extensively detailed information on the human rights conditions in each country. I assisted in researching human rights conditions in certain European countries, which led me to learn about particular human rights violations I never knew existed. My supervisors were genuinely interested in discussing my findings with me. When I wasn’t doing research, I sat in on meetings and toured the beautiful Truman Building. On one occasion, I attended a speech by then-Secretary of State Clinton honoring survivors of the Holocaust.
What has been your general career path?
Since earning my undergraduate degree, I have pursued a path of service. I joined Teach for America in San Antonio, where I taught middle school special education and reading intervention. The summer before I went to law school, I was a School Operations Manager at Teach for America’s Houston Institute. During law school, I worked at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office in the Labor and Employment Group, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California in the Strike Force and Violent Crimes Unit, and the East Bay Community Law Center’s Education Defense and Justice for Youth Clinic.
How has your experience as an Archer Fellow influenced your career path and goals?
My time as an Archer Fellow convinced me of the importance of public service. It also showed me that individuals have the power to effect meaningful change. D.C. is the perfect place for idealistic individuals to see that they are not alone in their work. It is full of people maximizing potential and beating the odds every day. I am so glad I had the opportunity to be an Archer Fellow.
What did you value the most about your Archer Fellowship experience?
The thing I value most about my experience as an Archer Fellow is my new perspective on American government. I enjoyed learning from each Fellow, whether through an in-class simulation, a political debate, or a casual conversation about what had happened at everyone’s internship that day. Fellows represented a wide range of internships, so I got an inside perspective of what it was like to work in Congress, in the Supreme Court and at the White House. I was constantly in awe of my classmates and soaked up what they had learned—both personally and professionally.
What do you value the most about being an Archer Fellow alumna?
Being a part of the Archer Center network has, first and foremost, given me friends around the world. Archer Fellows continue to do amazing things, and I’ve enjoyed catching up with them personally and watching their adventures unfold on social media. I know that they will be there for me if I need help finding housing or a job, but I also know they will be around when I want to reminisce about our time as Fellows.
What is your favorite memory as an Archer Fellow?
My favorite memories are my walks to and from work. I worked in a windowless cubicle, so I preferred to walk to and from work rather than take the Metro. Sometimes, I’d walk with other Archer Fellows. Other times, I’d walk alone and listen to the sounds of the city. I would take detours on days when I didn’t have class to see the Tidal Basin, especially when the city was blooming in the spring. I loved watching the seasons change from winter to spring with each passing day.
