Former Student Spotlight - Nate Kumar

Nate Kumar started with the Rural Export Center in the summer of 2021. After attending Gettysburg College where he majored in political science and international affairs, Nate started earning a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in the fall of 2021. Nate learned about the REC position from a fellow Georgetown student who had recently completed an internship with the REC. During his time with the Rural Export Center, Nate focused on market research projects for rural American businesses including helping a small Montana company learn about the German food and beverage market.

His favorite part of the experience was supporting U.S. businesses in their efforts to export globally. He enjoyed obtaining in-depth research skills and learning to utilize research databases. He also was able to create meaningful reports and gain presentation experience. Those transferrable skills opened more business and market research positions for him including his current
position. Today, Nate is an International Program Specialist at NASA focused on aeronautics and Canada.

When asked about advice for students, Nate said, “Get familiar with the research databases and don’t hesitate to ask others who are working on the project for help or suggestions. I’d encourage those interested in market research and US exports to apply.”