Former Student Spotlight - Ashley Singh
Ashley Singh’s journey into international trade began with a deep curiosity about global markets, international relations, and the power of data-driven decision-making. Combined with hands-on experience, that curiosity laid the foundation for the career she continues to build today.
Ashley earned degrees in Managerial Economics and International Relations at the University of California, Davis, followed by a Master of International Affairs at the University of California, San Diego. Early roles with the U.S. Commercial Service (CS), including the Rural Export Center (REC) and U.S. Commercial Service offices in San Francisco and Frankfurt, gave her essential skills in export research, client engagement, and international market analysis.
Her work at the Rural Export Center was especially transformative. At the REC, she developed in-depth market research reports that helped rural U.S. companies identify promising international markets and competitive challenges. Each assignment required her to master a new industry, analyze data from global sources, and translate complex information into clear, actionable insights for U.S. exporters.
“The REC taught me how to take huge amounts of data and turn it into something a business can actually use,” she says. “It was the first time I saw how analytical work could directly support rural communities.”
Her contributions extended beyond research. She supported rural exporters across multiple sectors, collaborated with trade specialists worldwide, and strengthened her understanding of how U.S. companies assess global opportunities. This experience built the analytical confidence that helped her earn a competitive internship in Frankfurt, where she worked directly with exporters on sector-specific market research.
After graduate school, Ashley joined the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) in Washington, D.C., as an International Trade Research Analyst. At PIIE, she manages large trade datasets, conducts quantitative analysis, and contributes to policy-oriented research, continuing the data-driven work that began at REC. She credits the U.S. Commercial Service for giving her the foundation to succeed in the field.
Ashley encourages future interns, including parents, veterans, and non-traditional students, to consider the CS experience for its flexibility, mentorship, and real-world impact.
“Every project gives you a chance to build skills you’ll use long after the internship ends,” she says. “And the people you meet in CS often have decades of experience. They become mentors who shape your career.”
For her, the Rural Export Center internship was more than a stepping stone; it demonstrated that rigorous research can make a tangible difference for rural businesses and their global ambitions. Today, her journey in international trade continues, still rooted in that same curiosity, now strengthened by hands-on experience, and propelled by the opportunities made possible through the U.S. Commercial Service.
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