Mikaela Lefrak

The World Intern

The World

Mikaela Lefrak was a Summer 2014 Intern for the World.

I was an intern at The World in 2014.

In previous lives, I was an AmeriCorps volunteer in Oakland, CA, a Spanish student in Bolivia, an education policy wonk in Washington, DC, and a competent but undistinguished pirate in the South China seas.

I received my Bachelor's degree from Middlebury College in Vermont, with a major in literature and minors in both Spanish and African Studies (if you need advice on milking a liberal arts degree, I'm your girl). I'm particularly interested in coverage of immigration, women's issues, the global economy, and anything baseball.

A traditional dish from the Isaan region of Thailand served at the Vermont restaurant Saap

Self-taught chef introduces rural Vermonters to traditional Thai cuisine

Americans may recognize Thai food from Bangkok, but this couple opened a restaurant in rural New England to introduce people to a cuisine that's native to Thailand's Isaan region.

Self-taught chef introduces rural Vermonters to traditional Thai cuisine
A Maryland-based ukulele marching band performs during a 2019 Fourth of July parade.

Global ukulele community keeps music alive, online in pandemic

Global ukulele community keeps music alive, online in pandemic
A bicyclist rides past the front entrance of the former Embassy of Iran.

Iran's govt buildings in DC are vacant. But they're full of stories.

Iran's govt buildings in DC are vacant. But they're full of stories.
A group of people is seen on a mobile staircase at an airport.

Metro banned ads for this art exhibition on the immigration crisis, then changed its mind

Metro banned ads for this art exhibition on the immigration crisis, then changed its mind
jazz group

‘It was a social revolution’: The Turkish Embassy’s surprising role in desegregating DC jazz

‘It was a social revolution’: The Turkish Embassy’s surprising role in desegregating DC jazz
Three elderly Holocaust survivors sit at a table writing.

One day, there won't be any more Holocaust survivors. This museum is racing to preserve their stories.

Eyewitness perspectives, like those of survivor Halina Litman Yasharoff Peabody, have served as invaluable educational resources for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum since the institution opened 25 years ago. But as the number of survivors dwindle, the museum must prepare for a future without them.

One day, there won't be any more Holocaust survivors. This museum is racing to preserve their stories.
Sound of Thunder

A heavy metal band from Virginia went viral in Catalonia

Lead singer Nina Osegueda inspires A Sound of Thunder to record a version of the region's anthem.

A heavy metal band from Virginia went viral in Catalonia
Starbucks

What happened to the opera music at Starbucks?

CEO Howard Schultz is hailed as an innovator, but less known is that many of his Starbucks inspirations didn't take with Americans. But he's "a very good listener," says one historian — and he adapted.

What happened to the opera music at Starbucks?
A man checks his own blood pressure using an at-home machine. Researchers hope to expand the range of at-home medical care with new tests and devices.

The doctor's office of the future might be your living room

You can already do things like check your blood pressure or heart rate pretty easily at home, but doctors and researchers are coming up with ways to get a much wider range of medicine into the hands of patients themselves.

The doctor's office of the future might be your living room
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks about Apple Pay during an Apple event at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California, on September 9, 2014.

We actually pay CEOs like menial laborers — and here's why

The modern American economy is based largely on talent and knowledge, but the way we pay people never caught up with the country's big economic changes. That's how CEOs get paid huge amounts, even though the incentives don't work the way they used to.

We actually pay CEOs like menial laborers — and here's why
Gillette Field

Data analytics are playing an increasingly important role in sports — on and off the field

Sports franchises have been using advanced analytics to measure their players for years, ever since Moneyball became popular. But now teams are using big data analytics to track fan behavior and tailor offerings to them.

Data analytics are playing an increasingly important role in sports — on and off the field
A woman holds a birth control pill at her home in Nice, France.

The inside, not-always-ethical story of how 'The Pill' was made

Birth control was a major leap forward for gender equality, but developing the pill wasn't easy at a time when even discussing it was illegal in some states. So Margaret Sanger and the team that created the first birth control pill had to get sneaky to test it out and make sure it was safe.

The inside, not-always-ethical story of how 'The Pill' was made
College graduation

Author argues that it's time for the idea of the college major to graduate

College majors are about as integral to the college process as graduation and term papers. But in an era where change is coming at an ever-quickening pace, do they even make sense any more? Author Jeff Selingo suggests they do not.

Author argues that it's time for the idea of the college major to graduate
Solar panels

How a century of infrastructure is holding back renewable energy supplies

As we feel more of the effects of climate change, there continues to be a push to bring more renewable energy into the market. But the US is held back by infrastructure built for the fossil fuel economy over more than a century.

How a century of infrastructure is holding back renewable energy supplies
Pills and pill bottle

A world without antibiotics? A new book says it's coming sooner than you think

Mary McKenna's newest book looks at an issue that could be a matter of life and death for all of us. It's the question of antibiotic resistance, an issue that is becoming much worse.

A world without antibiotics? A new book says it's coming sooner than you think