Susannah Roberson

Intern

The World

Susannah Roberson was a summer 2015 intern at PRI's The World.

I'm a Durham, NC native and a Public Policy major at Duke University also studying journalism and French. I'm particularly interested in education and family policy.

I love how radio brings stories to life in such an intimate and personal way, and it's always had a place in my life. In my family, cooking and public radio go together like peanut butter and jelly. I'm interested in all corners of the globe, especially France and South Africa, where I've spent time studying and working.

Beyond journalism, I'm a dancer and a huge ballet nerd (that's a thing) and my favorite place to be is a North Carolina beach.

David Hyde stands in front of his tent in Geneva, Switzerland.

Update: Tent-living UN intern 'comes clean,' planned stunt to publicize intern conditions

David Hyde, an unpaid intern at the UN offices in Geneva, Switzerland found a creative way to bypass the city's high cost of living. Instead of renting, he pitched a tent on Lake Geneva.

Update: Tent-living UN intern 'comes clean,' planned stunt to publicize intern conditions
A woman wearing a mask rides her bicycle along a street on a hazy morning in Beijing, February 28, 2013. Beijing's environmental authorities said that day air quality in Beijing and nearby regions hit dangerous levels, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The key player in global climate change policy is China, again

The key player in global climate change policy is China, again
Iran's leaders

Even with the Iran nuclear deal, the country still has an alarming record on human rights

Even with the Iran nuclear deal, the country still has an alarming record on human rights
Margaret Atwood, right, hands over her transcript for Future Library, a 100-year project by Scottish artist Katie Paterson, left.

You can't read these books, but your great-great-grandchildren can

You can't read these books, but your great-great-grandchildren can
A pro-Euro protester holds a European Union and a Greek national flag during a rally in front of the parliament building in Athens, Greece, July 9, 2015.

Greek people paralyzed by 'overwhelming, deep uncertainty'

Greek people paralyzed by 'overwhelming, deep uncertainty'
Carnival Corporation's newest cruise line, fathom, aims to send passengers on "social impact" voyages to Cuba starting in May 2016.

Tourist cruise ships headed from US to Cuba. But, don't call it tourism.

While relations between the US and Cuba may be on the road to recovery, the decades-old embargo bans leisure travel to Cuba. So instead, Carnival Corporation's newest cruise line, fathom, is hoping travelers will sign up for their "social impact" voyages.

Tourist cruise ships headed from US to Cuba. But, don't call it tourism.
Participants holding a rainbow flag pass through a junction during a gay pride parade, which is promoting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights, in Mumbai, January 31, 2015.

While gay people in America can marry, gay people in India face jail time

President Barack Obama called Friday's Supreme Court ruling "a victory for America." Meanwhile, in India, being gay can mean a life lived in secrecy, blackmail and even jail time. Indian-American author Manil Suri hopes the US Supreme Court decision will set a worldwide precedent.

While gay people in America can marry, gay people in India face jail time
Graffiti artist Rei Blinky at work in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

In the world's deadliest city, graffiti artists use their 'weapons' for good

San Pedro Sula has earned the bloody title of world's deadliest city four years in a row. Graffiti artists hope to change that with some spray paint and imagination. And ironically, they're teaming up with the police to ensure they can work without catching a stray bullet.

In the world's deadliest city, graffiti artists use their 'weapons' for good
Nazi uniforms and a Swastika flag that were confiscated by the Berlin police during raids against German neo-Nazis are presented to the public during an open day at a police barracks in Berlin, September 7, 2014.

Is the Confederate flag about to go the way of Nazi symbols?

When Germany lost World War II, citizens immediately removed Nazi symbols. Not so after the American Civil War. But there's a lot we can learn from Germany and how ridding itself of a terrible past allowed it to move forward.

Is the Confederate flag about to go the way of Nazi symbols?
The Boston Gay Men's Chorus

Boston's Gay Men's Chorus' finds pride and prejudice in Turkey

The Boston's Gay Men’s Chorus returns to the US inspired by its performance for the gay community in Istanbul. But their trip was not without conflict.

Boston's Gay Men's Chorus' finds pride and prejudice in Turkey
Marion Poizeau

In Iran, where the women school the men on surfing

People were welcoming, but they were surprised, when a team of modestly dressed women surfers showed up in a remote corner of Iran. They had never seen surfing before. "Because we were only women in the water, they thought it was a sport for women," says French director Marion Poizeau. "So the men asked us if they could also do it."

In Iran, where the women school the men on surfing
Leslie Osborne

She put five sports in a hat and pulled out soccer ... the rest is history

She put five sports in a hat and pulled out soccer ... the rest is history
U.S. Army photo by SSG. Russell Lee Klika

'Make no mistake, these women are warriors'

The US military operated a unique special operations and intelligence gathering operation during the war in Afghanistan. Half the population was essentially off limits to male soldiers. So the Army created "cultural support teams," all female teams that accompanied special operations units, despite a ban on women serving in combat positions. The job cost one female soldier her life. Gayle Tzemach Lemmon tells her story and that of the cultural support teams in a new book, "Ashley's War."

'Make no mistake, these women are warriors'
Ayesha Farooq, 26, Pakistan's only female war-ready fighter pilot, gives the thumb-up sign from the cockpit of a Chinese-made F-7PG fighter jet at Mushaf base in Sargodha, north Pakistan June 6, 2013.

Pakistan's first female fighter pilot is smashing stereotypes

Flight Lt. Ayesha Farooq is Pakistan's only combat-ready female air force pilot. Her father died when she was young, but she managed to become a top air force pilot.

Pakistan's first female fighter pilot is smashing stereotypes
A relative of a missing passenger aboard the capsized ship Eastern Star cries on the banks of the Jianli section of Yangtze River in Hubei province, China, June 4, 2015.

Latest item on Chinese government’s censorship list? The cruise ship disaster

What really went on with the Chinese ship that went down in the Yangtze River is hard to tell. The Chinese government is turning everyone away from the site of the disaster, including reporters.

Latest item on Chinese government’s censorship list? The cruise ship disaster