By Abby Wagner, Policy Intern, Summer 2025
At some point during my internship at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, I developed a mild obsession with Geoguessr — an office-favorite game that drops you at a random location in the world and challenges you to use Google Street View to figure out where you are. I’ve spent a fair amount of time “wandering” through the streets of Tokyo, the picturesque valleys of Switzerland, the bustling markets of India and squinting at a blurry street sign for a clue as to if I was in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo.
After a while, I started to see the game as more than just a fun break from the heavy nuclear weapons issues I was engaging with daily. Each location was a real place. It was someone’s home, childhood and future. In a world with dangerous nuclear weapons buildups and nuclear threat-making, these places could be easily destroyed without warning or mercy for the people living in them. I started to view the world as more than a map, but rather a reminder of how fragile our world and the human lives within it are in the face of destruction by nuclear weapons.
Many young people do not understand the urgency of addressing the issue of nuclear weapons. Like billions of others, I have never experienced a world free of nuclear weapons, but I hope to see one in my lifetime. Over 80% of the nuclear weapons that ever existed have been dismantled, even if the pace of reductions has slowed. Nuclear disarmament is possible, and I believe it is the responsibility of the younger generation to fight for a safer, more secure future and end the legacy of nuclear weapons.
Working in the field of nuclear disarmament can be overwhelming and frustrating at times, but through my summer internship I found a much-needed sense of hope and belonging in the nuclear non-proliferation community. My colleagues were, without a doubt, my favorite part of my internship. I was surrounded by passionate, supportive and deeply knowledgeable people who treated me as an equal, despite being the youngest and least experienced person in the room.
I have to admit that I was intimidated at first but quickly realized that the Center was a place where my curiosity and questions were valued. I had the chance to research topics that I was interested in and contribute to meaningful work every single day. My internship didn’t just help me grow professionally, but personally.
As I reflect on my experience this summer, I can say that I have emerged as a more confident, self-assured and outspoken version of myself. It confirmed that this is the field I want to work in after graduation where I can be part of a larger movement toward a nuclear-free world. I’m incredibly grateful for this internship opportunity, and the mentorship, support and continuous optimism of my colleagues who showed me that I have a place in this field — it made all the difference.
