My name is Glory Akoh and I am a junior at Seton Hall University majoring in Diplomacy and International Relations as well as Modern Languages with a minor in Economics. I am currently interning with Nonviolence International NY (NVINY), located in Harlem, as a Media and Marketing Representative. NVINY is an international humanitarian organization that advocates for nonviolent solutions during violent and oppressive situations. It conducts research, produces projects, and hosts events on a growing number of issues that relate to disarmament, sustainable peace, and American politics.

Founded in 2014, NVINY has always been fueled and inspired by the active engagement and passion of the youth – this is evident in their constant recruitment of interns and volunteers. I recognized how dedicated the organization was to the success of young people after hearing the team express their support for my professional aspirations in the field of diplomacy. With the support of the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC), NVINY ensures that all the interns are given access to multiple meetings and conferences at the United Nations. All the interns, including myself, can be seen walking the halls of the UN Secretariat and sitting in on General Assembly sessions every week, if not every day.

As a Media and Marketing Representative, I oversee NVINY’s social media presence. This means developing and sharing content related to the progress of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the daily operations of our resource center. I also cover news and exclusive research from our sister organizations and civil society groups across the U.S, as well as reports concerning different UN meetings that our staff attends. These responsibilities enable me to thrive because they directly align with my professional ambitions. I collaborate with interns and supervisors from Russia, Germany, France, Mexico, Ireland, and China. On any given day, conversations in German, French, and Spanish are being held between people from different parts of the world. Having lived in three different countries, ethnic diversity is another component of NVINY that makes me feel at home.

I have never felt prouder to be a student of the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall than I did during a Plenary First Committee meeting, which I attended a few days ago. I listened to the delegates of China, Poland, Australia, Uruguay, Argentina, and many others, voice the concerns of their respective countries on the issues I learned about in the classroom. Denuclearization, humanitarian crises, climate change, and international governance are just some of the topics that were discussed. This experience, coupled with the fact that I was covering the session with our Media Team, helped me realize how I could merge my two career interests. Interning with NVINY showed me how the theories and concepts learned in the classroom are relevant to the real-world conversations that are happening every day at the United Nations.

I am grateful to the School of Diplomacy and International Relations for including an internship requirement in the curriculum. The entire process of updating one’s resume, applying for internships, being interviewed, and ultimately being thrown into the professional world, prepares students for what a career in the field of diplomacy will look like.

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