Legacies of War is a nonprofit advocating for clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Laos, so that the people who live there can finally be freed from the remnants of a secret United States bombing campaign in the 1970s. The organization interested me because I had learned about the Vietnam War and the “domino effect” in high school history classes; yet somehow, I had never heard about the CIA-led bombings in Laos and Cambodia. This, in and of itself, seems like quite the failure of the education system, particularly because Laos is the most bombed country per capita in human history, but that's another tangent.
My internship was virtual, but that did not diminish how much I learned. I applied thinking there was no way I’d be hired as a first-year student with absolutely zero experience in the field, but Danae Hendrickson (my direct boss) made me feel welcome immediately. My first two weeks were just learning material and starting to test my abilities.
I was privileged to edit over 10 episodes of the Legacies podcast, which features conversations across the military, social justice, human rights, and cultural spheres. Each guest has a unique perspective on the organization and its work, and some actually spoke directly to my areas of interest, such as the digitization of warfare and the United States’ penchant for increasing the Pentagon budget for destruction rather than helping develop countries with those same resources. Editing the podcast and the other behind-the-scenes admin tasks I got to do aligned with my preexisting volunteer experience. It was absolutely satisfying to read through and sort all the blog posts and stories in the Legacies Library (and that organization is now visible on the website!). However, because of the breadth of this internship, I did get pushed out of my comfort zone as well.
Social media content creation is something I never really have done before, and I can’t say I’m a professional at it even now. The act of reading and synthesizing complex reports and articles was enjoyable, if not necessarily easy. It was when it came to turning them into bite-sized pieces of an Instagram post that I struggled. There were so many aspects to consider: was I quoting or summarizing? Should I use background images or just color backgrounds? How had Legacies done previous posts? I’ll be the first to admit that most of my draft submissions received editing before posting, but I’m not embarrassed about it. I can now list social media experience on my resume. While front-facing work still makes me a bit nervous before submission, I’m no longer starting from nothing.
I also get exposed to an entire side of a culture I have no personal connection to. I was one of the few people attending Legacies events and working for the organization who didn’t have any Southeast Asian family connection, which was a huge opportunity for me to learn more about a history and people I would otherwise never have learned about. Hearing people’s stories really humanized the work and humbled me, because UXO and the American Secret War can’t be reduced to just a policy issue of securing funding or acknowledging the past. It was something that had upended lives and families, and continues to do so.
To intern here at a time when the United States has basically cut off all foreign aid and simultaneously continues to pursue foreign wars was also a special experience of its own, even if it came at the cost of feeling like we were screaming into a void. It reminds me, however, that history is never finished. We’re doomed to repeat the same mistakes that we did before if we don’t look back. It’s a victory in and of itself if one person learns more about an issue and becomes an advocate, even if it doesn’t change all of American policy. Sometimes, knowledge is the ultimate act of resistance.
My work here isn’t quite done, as this wasn’t just a summer internship but a six-month experience that’ll take me through mid-September, and I’m genuinely excited to see what more I can do and learn. I plan to stay involved with Legacies of War through their Advocacy Ambassador program. I've been passionate about advocacy, and I don’t plan to let this experience just be something I can add to my resume. I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity and experience, especially so early in my college career. I felt absolutely welcomed even though I only ever met most of the community on video calls, and I have been grateful to be able to have conversations with friends and family about what I’ve been learning.
Olivia Garrison is a sophomore, currently pursuing a double major in Political Science and Economics, and a double minor in Pre-Law and Human Rights Studies. Olivia is originally a military kid, most recently moving from Reno, Nevada, and currently lives in Dayton. She is a full-time student-athlete on the rowing team, a member of the Honors College and the Chaminade Scholars program, and a member of Peers Advocating for Violence Education (PAVE). Additionally, she works as a Student Ambassador and an Undergraduate Music Minister. She has interned with Legacies of War from March to September 2026.