by Catherine Ruby | May 5, 2016 | Internship Experiences, Undergraduate Students
My name is Jose, I am a junior at the School of Diplomacy with a deep interest in the Latin American region. I intern at The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers (the Network). This organization is led by Antti Pentikainen and funded by the Government of Finland. Its purpose is to work with small communities, and religious and international leaders to promote peace around the globe. I would like to give you an insight of my ongoing journey as an intern and share with you my experiences during the spring 2016 semester.
As an intern, my priority is to keep abreast of the initiatives that the Network has implemented, and collect information used for the Network’s newsletter. Additionally, I am occasionally assigned to cover conferences related to the objectives and core values of the network. Since the Network is an NGO registered with ECOSOC at the United Nations, I have a grounds pass that allows me to have access to open meetings. During the first two weeks of the internship, I attended conferences at the International Peace Institute and at the UN Headquarters. At first, I took notes and briefed Mr. Pentikainen. Then, as I met more members of the Network, I began to learn from them and became comfortable with expressing my ideas. As a result, I volunteered to attend conferences of pertinent topics and submit my own articles for approval by the Network’s secretariat. This was an important step because an intern is widely stereotyped as someone whose responsibility is making copies or getting coffee, someone who is consistently told what to do. Be that as it may, in order to stand out, it is our responsibility to convert from knowledge-consumers to knowledge-producers.
During my hiring interview, Antti Pentikainen, the Network’s Executive director, asked what my dream job or goal was. I said that I would like to be part of the mediation process at the UN, but acknowledged the challenges of dealing with the elites at the global level. For that reason, I would rather focus on a region where my contribution may have a sustainable impact for peace and conflict resolution and not be seen as a quick fix. “If you want to work at the UN, you have to make yourself relevant” said Antti as he offered to facilitate a conversation with experts that could point me in the right direction. On February 15th, the Network’s core members gathered in the NY headquarters to talk about what the current Network’s status was and the direction it was expected to go in. Martine, a member and expert on South Asia, asked me if I thought I was being utilized constructively as an intern. I had been interning for just two weeks, so I did not know how to respond to that. “When I was an intern I brought my boss a proposal of three things I wanted to work with. I recommend you do the same in the area you’re interested in, especially Latin America where the Network’s presence isn’t as strong,” said Martine after my long pause. Although with a different angle, Martine’s advice reiterated what Antti said to me the first day I met him: “make yourself relevant”.
That same day, I talked to Antti and asked for two things: The first is that I wanted to be more involved in the Network’s affairs in Latin America; the second was that I wanted to write short articles about the conferences I attended as long as they were related to the organization’s core values, and hence could potentially be incorporated into the newsletter. I was expecting a long diplomatic, eloquent answer that politely declined my ideas. Instead, I got an “okay” followed by a smile and was Cc’d on an email in which I was recommended to provide assistance to a Network affiliate with a strong presence in Latin America where.
Currently, I am helping with the coordination and logistics for conferences and projects dealing with stability in the Americas and have access to information that isn’t always readily available in mainstream media or simply disregarded because of other issues that dominate the headlines. As for attending conferences and writing my own articles, I will be traveling to Washington DC to cover the gathering of leaders from several religions in the Americas. I am also working with Religions for Peace staff in the preparations of a panel where I will be the moderator.
It has been difficult to balance it with schoolwork, but I enjoy every day I spend at my internship. I was extremely lucky to have met a staff that treats me as if they had known me for years and a humble boss who treats others like family and who is always there to help me. Being an intern at the Network requires a lot of work, time and dedication, but the experience they offer is immeasurable.
For anyone who wants to intern in New York, particularly during the spring semester, I have two recommendations that will help you grow and, perhaps, survive:
First, do not be afraid to offer assistance, ask questions, or be the first one to raise your hand if there is an upcoming project that may be of interest to you, provided you’re able to deliver good results.
Second, after snowstorms, bring your dress shoes and an extra pair of socks in a bag, you may need them.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my journey thus far at the Network as much as I have enjoyed working for them. If there is anyone interested in becoming a part of this team, or if there are any questions, I am more than happy to answer them; working here has given me far more joy than I ever imagined and I’m sure you’d feel the same way.
by Carolin Braxenthaler | May 5, 2016 | Internship Experiences, Undergraduate Students
My name is Elaina Estrin, I am a junior at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, with minors in Economics and Modern Languages. I am interning with the United Nations Foundation (UNF) as a United Nations Relations and Policy intern. UNF is a nonprofit organization that combines the work of the UN with the work of others around the world to help tackle global issues.
One of my main responsibilities is to compile the daily update that is sent out to UNF staff and partners. The daily update includes any new information put out by the UN, including new appointments, reports released by various UN missions, updates from UN organizations, all briefings conducted at the UN, as well as any up to the minute news from countries in conflict around the world. This newsletter is a great source of news for anyone working in or with the UN. Other responsibilities at the UNF also include attending events at the UN that align with the goals of UNF, compiling briefings, and updating the staff about these events. I have been able to follow announcements on the Syria negotiations, post Paris Agreement talks, highlights of Davos (the World Economic Form), humanitarian financing, events predating the World Humanitarian Summit, and the Secretary General’s Plan of Action to prevent violent extremism just to name a few.
My classes at the School of Diplomacy have guided and prepared me for this internship opportunity. From classes like International Relations, which laid the groundwork for my knowledge in the field and introduced me to some of the issue areas that I am most passionate about today; to Institutions of Global Governance, which introduced me to the different actors in the international system, global problems, and global policymaking. The School of Diplomacy also introduced me to Public International Law and how different agreements at the UN translate legally, as well as what constitutes a human rights violation or a war crime. This understanding of the international community and international law is vital to work in the fast-paced environment of the UNF.
When UNF was first launched in 1998, its main purpose was to support UN causes. Over the years, UNF’s role has transformed from encouraging support for the UN to creating huge global campaigns in partnership with the UN on some of the biggest issues that humanity is facing in the 21st century. A lot of the work I do is in support of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are the world framework for the next 15 years. Some of the other issues UNF focuses on are child health, climate change, energy, technology, women and girls, and population.
I not only learned about the inner workings of a nonprofit organization, but also about the UN and its noble causes. Interning with UNF greatly improved my writing and critical thinking skills, which will be valuable in any profession. The knowledge I gained from researching different international issues for UNF has been the biggest takeaway; it has increased my passion and drive to create change for women and girls an in education.
by Carolin Braxenthaler | May 5, 2016 | Internship Experiences, Undergraduate Students
My name is Emily Balan, I will graduate in May 2016 with a degree in international relations and diplomacy, a degree in philosophy, and with minors in French and journalism. After exploring the non-profit sector last year for my first internship (I was the communications intern at the human rights advocacy NGO Human Rights First), I decided I wanted to explore the realm of the newsroom. In my last semester, I am a digital breaking news desk intern at CNBC, the financial news network.
At CNBC in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., I am treated as a news associate, which is like an entry-level job for a journalist. I attend the morning and afternoon briefings where all the departments and section editors brief the managing editor on what they’re working on for the day and other long term projects. I am mainly responsible for producing content for the website. This means grabbing wire stories that are relevant to our readers’ interests. It also means doing some reporting and writing up small stories to publish on the website.
I work closely with the digital team, helping with formatting, as well as with research for projects. I am working with my on-site internship supervisor and another editor, who handles most of the international stories, in order to produce my own story. I had visited the Czech Republic immediately before starting my internship, so I collaborated with these editors to pitch a story that I have been researching in my spare time at CNBC.
I have been able to develop close working relationships with my fellow interns as well as news associates since we are all working in an open air space. The news room, without the myriad blocks of desks and cool lighting with a studio built in, could look like a large warehouse in terms of open space and lack of architectural design. The open air, however, makes it more conducive for editors to communicate quickly and directly when breaking news comes in.
The newsroom can definitely be an exciting, albeit intimidating, place. On my second day, the Fed made a major decision and I jumped right in to feed quotes from an on-air guest to the editor writing up the story for the website. On most days, I merely bear witness to the excitement since intern-liability is too great for a network whose majority viewership is in the financial sector. I find that I am learning how to keep up with such a fast-paced environment, as well as instilling the journalistic values of accuracy and timeliness.
I am learning more than I ever thought I would know about the financial world, both in the United States and around the world. I am thankful that I saved the two classes – International Political Economy and Economic Aspects of the International System – for my last semester because they were a great starting point that gave me a framework to think about the global financial news. Right now, the big story is on oil: it is the main export of many fiscally powerful countries (think OPEC) and the low prices impact international relations. There have been several meetings of world powers to coordinate efforts to stabilize the global economy in light of a strengthening dollar combined with low oil prices.
The most challenging aspect of the job, however, is precisely that I do not know the business behind these stories. I am not familiar with how the stock market works, although I study for pop quizzes on current topics from the managing editor during our twice-daily briefings. It is also challenging to be in such a tense environment where anything could happen at any time. I find myself intimidated by these busy and important people, whose work affects so many others. I found that I have to purposefully instill myself with the confidence necessary to talk about my projects and pitch stories on a weekly basis.
There is some respite in the chaos of the newsroom. Since I am more available than some of the other interns, I work for the commentary section, mainly copy editing articles and contemplating them (adding links and writing headlines and descriptions) to be published at the peak of their news timeliness. This is a more laid back environment, separated from the constant stream of news from before the market opens to after the closing bell.
I would definitely recommend this internship. My supervisors and everyone involved in the internship process have been more than welcoming and accommodating. I would say, however, to make sure that you have a thick skin and that you have an interest in the financial aspect of things, even if it is just to learn more about the subject. It is tough to report on a subject you know very little about, but the learning experience and the newsroom environment is more than enough to make up for the intimidating pressure.
by Carolin Braxenthaler | May 5, 2016 | Graduate Students, Internship Experiences
My interview to be an intelligence intern with the New Jersey Transit Police Department (NJTPD) promised me all the things I had lacked in my first internship. There would be daily tasks, circumstance-specific tasks, and broader projects. I would be thoroughly trained on multiple databases and computer programs. I would assume a small level of responsibility for the activities within the office, and if I had any questions, or faced any roadblocks, they would be addressed. I would, ultimately, learn what I needed to know to eventually get a job as an analyst.
My experience here at the NJTPD intelligence office has been so much more than that. On your first day, you are introduced to a whole floor of people who welcome you enthusiastically and all say, “welcome to the team!” Even if you don’t know it yet, your job has a purpose. It also makes your experience easier to sell to a potential employment opportunity.
There is a perfect combination of learning a lot, very quickly, but with mentors who have the utmost patience for you. The office exudes a beautiful harmony of camaraderie and professionalism. You will have fun, and you will learn. You will go on field trips, have the opportunity to talk to people of all ranks in many contexts, and learn the fundamentals of a state security institution. You will learn how to be productive, and your mistakes will be readily forgiven. If there is a more positive place to fulfill an internship requirement, I can’t imagine one. If you are looking for an internship that will actually involve you in the operations of the system and make you a valuable candidate on the job market, you should seriously consider the NJTPD.
I decided on this internship through conversations with peers who had done it before, and a realization of my own desire to be a part of the intelligence community. This internship allows graduate students a really incredible and understated opportunity to be involved in intelligence work.
by Catherine Ruby | Jul 1, 2013 | Graduate Students, Internship Experiences
School of Diplomacy alumna Mery Arcila, M.A. ’13, interned for the Development and Philanthropy department at the Clinton Foundation in New York, NY during the Spring 2013 semester. Mery assisted the Development team in fundraising campaigns through events for the Millennium Network as well as the online giving programs. Mery had the opportunity to meet with former U.S. President Bill Clinton during a brown bag lunch event at the Foundation. This is the fourth year that The Clinton Foundation has partnered with the School to support student interns. The Clinton Foundation was established to improve global health and strengthen economies in local communities around the world; learn more via http://www.clintonfoundation.org/.
by Katherine Campbell | Apr 23, 2013 | Graduate Students, Internship Experiences, Undergraduate Students
Experiential Education Awards are given to Seton Hall students who exemplify servant leadership and have demonstrated personal and professional growth through internships.
Jenna Raymond, Intern, NJ Transit Police Intelligence Unit
Master of Arts (May 2013), Diplomacy and International Relations
Approximately a million commuters utilize NJ Transit transportation on a daily basis. Behind the scenes there is a special intelligence unit, which monitors and prevents criminal and terrorist activity. During her internship experience, Ms. Raymond has proven to be an important team member of the Unit. Her vigorous intelligence surveillance has provided crucial information to authorities. In addition, Jenna’s daily internal memos became a reliable source of information for all staff members. In the words of her supervisor “Jenna’s unrelenting work ethic, enthusiasm and dedication to both academic and personal growth ensured a positive experience throughout the internship and made her a valuable member of the Intelligence Section.” Through this internship and her supervisors’ recommendations, Ms. Raymond is on her way to full time employment in the intelligence community. Congratulations Jenna!
Paul Murphy, Intern, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and CNN’s Piers Morgan Show
Bachelor of Science (August 2013), Diplomacy and International Relations
As a transfer student at Seton Hall University, Mr. Murphy took advantage of the internship program at the Whitehead School of Diplomacy. With the assistance of the Office of Internships’ Director and Graduate Assistant he was able to secure an internship at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2012; which served as a building experience toward his current internship at the CNN’s Pier Morgan Show. Paul is currently quite busy assisting with the various national and international developing news stories. Working in a fast-paced media environment, Paul has proved to deliver quality real-time work under tight deadlines. As Paul anticipates graduating this summer, he plans to incorporate his experience and passion for communications/media with the international perspective. We are excited to hear back with Mr. Murphy’s final decision as he is currently considering various employment offers. Congratulations Paul!
by Jillian Mcallister | Apr 17, 2013 | Graduate Students, Internship Experiences
Jillian Mcallister is a graduate student interning at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) as a Continuing Education Intern. The IRC responds to humanitarian crises globally and assists refugees who have fled from war-torn countries. Read about her experiences with this organization, and the work that she does.
The major project I have been working on since January, and which gets a little tedious at times, is streamlining searching the City University of New York (CUNY) system to see if they have program that a client is interested in. The CUNY system is comprised of 24 colleges, throughout the 5 boroughs, varying from associate degree community colleges to 4 year colleges. However, some colleges are subject-specific such as the College of Journalism, and many others are Liberal Arts schools. As someone unfamiliar with the system, I discovered there is no easy way to search across all campuses for a program. Thus, I am developing a Master List of colleges by borough and what undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs they offer. Now that it is just about finished at nearly 40 pages, it is still quite cumbersome once you identify a program in a college with a wide variety of majors, to find the name of the school and subsequently which borough. Thus, I am now trying to streamline this process further.
I have also worked on comparatively smaller projects such as translating important terms for IRC for newly arrived clients, from English to Spanish. I adopted one intake sheet used for tracking college application processes to be used for all clients when we initially meet with them and map out a plan to help them pursue their educational goals. As we often discuss quite a few options in our meetings. I give them a copy of this sheet after each meeting if notes were added in subsequent meetings, to help slow the potential head spinning a day or 2 later. We also plan to use the data on these intake sheets to supplement the monitoring and tracking for our monthly reports on demographics and services provided.
Some of our clients had prior education in their home country that they may not have been able to pursue further or it may have gotten interrupted due to conflict. In such cases, I need to determine if the client has documentation of previous education such as transcripts and/or diploma, and what they equate to here in the US. Some are in the native language and need to be translated and evaluated, some are in English and need to be evaluated as to equivalency in the US. I also advise students on agencies that provide these services. This is quite a new experience for me. I have spent over an hour with a client and on the phone with a variety of agencies because what the client had—a single, original, opened version of her transcript in English—did not meet what they wanted—an official, original, sealed version—and thus would not evaluate it. After an hour I located an agency in Miami who stated the same requirements as the other agencies, but understood what the situation was in the client’s home country, Iraq, and would accept the original as she had it. It took me that long to locate an agency who would work with her, considering I have a list of agencies who provided these services, could explain exactly what the situation was, and am a native speaker of English. I could not imagine having to do it from her position and thus why I was glad to spend that much time on it. At one point I had considered sending her home, telling her I would work on it, and contact her when I had an answer. But at that point we were no further than when her case worker brought her to me, so I felt I couldn’t send her away. She was so thankful for me just calling around to different agencies, and it encouraged me to continue what I was doing.
by Catherine Ruby | Apr 8, 2013 | Internship Experiences, Undergraduate Students
An undergraduate student at the Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations with a minor in Asian studies, Areej Elahi Siddiqui is a current student intern with PolicyMic, an online media platform. Her articles have been features on their website and most recently on a popular blogger’s site, Michelle Malkin, who has almost half a million followers on Twitter.
When she’s not writing articles for PolicyMic, you can find her slumped in a chair at her local coffee shop writing either YA fiction or articles for her university newspaper, the Whitehead Envoy.
