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Constantinos Adamides, M.A.
Diplomacy & International Relations/ M.B.A.
2006
Internship: Permanent Mission of Cyprus to the United Nations
"I interned at the Permanent Mission of Cyprus at the United Nations in
New York where I had the opportunity to associate with high-level diplomats—
including ambassadors from many other nations. During those four months
I was given the chance to represent my country at several UN meetings and
I had the responsibility of generating reports and memos for the Cyprus
government. My focus was on the Second Committee (Economics and
Finance), where I attended all the Millennium Development Goals
meetings, some of which were presented by the director of the project,
Professor Jeffrey Sachs. On top of the professional experience that I acquired,
I also had the opportunity to understand the real life of a diplomat, and this is the kind of knowledge that
will help me make an educated decision on whether the diplomatic career is for me. In other words, my
internship provided me with the type of knowledge that cannot be obtained through books and lectures."
Damian Bednarz, M.A. 2007
Internship:
Hall Institute of Public Policy- New
Jersey
 In the summer of 2006, I interned with the
Hall Institute of Public Policy, a
non-partisan think tank located in Trenton,
New Jersey. In addition to working on a
number of research projects, I had the
pleasure of managing both the state’s and
the country’s first-ever virtual debate
between two U.S. Senate candidates. The five
month long event captured national attention
and praise for encouraging civic
participation in the electoral process. What
stands out the most perhaps from this
opportunity was seeing how the fusion of
domestic and international issues takes
place across so many various levels of
government and policy. Overall the
experience proved to be very rewarding and
valuable to my future career plans in public
service.
Priscilla Garces, 3rd year B.S. in Diplomacy and International Relations
Internship:
Office of NJ State Senator Robert Menendez
 In the summer of 2007, I interned at the Office of NJ State Senator Robert Menendez. I wasn’t sure what to expect before my orientation, but I found that I was busy and relied upon from my first day there. In addition to record keeping and following up on the documentation of immigration cases, I continuously performed research for the office. The majority of my research focused on passport attainment and documentation, which involved an opportunity to visit the State Department. I also performed additional research on the factors that keep NJ residents and would be residents from securing housing in our state. Besides research, I regularly prepared county briefs and generated reports for Washington. I had days where I would be taking down opinions over the telephone on the latest immigration debates and the person on the other end of the line was hysterical! Each day surely brought new challenges and allowed me to grow and enhance my skills, particularly in multi-tasking and networking. Some of the highlights of the experience for me involved attending meetings with Senator Menendez and even with the Secret Service. My advice to future interns would be for them to take advantage of all of the opportunities that their internship has to offer, and to remember to reflect on how the experience may or may not have influenced their goals.
Doris Gonzalez, M.A. 2007,
Scholastic Achievement Award Recipient
Internship: US Mission to the United Nations (U.S.U.N.)
 My internship
was with the United States Mission to the
United Nations, which is actually a part of
the U.S. State Department. Essentially, the
U.S. Mission carries out U.S. policies at
the United Nations. There are quite a few
departments at the Mission; I interned in
the Host Country Affairs section. My
internship experience gave me a better
understanding of what a public service
career in government would be like,
particularly as it relates to the
diplomatic, international relations arena.
Working at the U.S. Mission also aided me in
the development of career skills and
confirmed my professional goal of someday
working within the diplomatic field. My
experience at U.S.U.N. has equipped me with
key skills including negotiation,
familiarity with international law and
practices, and understanding of the
formalities of diplomatic practice, and
other standards within the United Nations as
well as the US Mission. I primarily worked
on resolving legal disputes between local
government, private citizens, and businesses
and members of the diplomatic community. Two
of the cases I actually did some work on
moved up to the Supreme Court. Additionally,
I served as note taker during meetings and
negotiation sessions of the U.N. Committee
on Relations with the Host Country, drafted
reporting cables to Washington when
appropriate, assisted with several
high-level diplomatic events (such as the US
Presidential Reception on the Occasion of
the 61st UN General Assembly), assisted with
the verbiage of a UN Host Country Committee
resolution when a stumbling block was
encountered, and helped implement necessary
security measures for the 61st United
Nations General Assembly. My experience at
U.S.U.N. allowed to me to see international
relations in action. It was amazing! It's
one thing to read about theory and learn how
policies are crafted and carried out it
books, but it's completely another thing to
actually see it happening.
Sarabeth Trujillo, 5-year BS/MA student
Internship: Asian Media Watchdog
"In a more-connected world, being an executive intern at an internet-based
activist group like Asian Media Watchdog was an ultimately rewarding
experience that allowed me to be involved in a very different work environment.
The official office was not a physical building, but e-mail and phone. I was
able to see the positives and negatives of this specialized type of non-profit
work through representing the organization in interviews, writing internet
campaign template letters, and researching—which meant looking at other
activist message boards and keeping an eye out for possible campaigns. I was
able to network and had the chance to work with other activists, as well as
discussing changes in Asian-American identity and its relationship to media portrayals of Asians. It helped
me look through a frame of reference different from an academic and more formalized view of diplomacy
and international relations."
Bonny Life, 5-year BS/MA student
Internship: Office of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg
"Empirical evidence shows that internship experiences have served previous
and current world leaders in understanding and preparing for leadership
challenges. My internship experience not only enhanced my understanding
of the American political system, it also helped me in developing proper
comprehension of vast constituents and issues, and dealing with different
people. The particular office in which I interned can greatly prepare someone
for Public Administration, Government Relations, and decision-making
processes. I performed duties such as case studies, and dealt with issues
related to immigration, Medicare/Medicaid, social welfare, public opinion,
public relations, the military, and veterans. The best part of my internship experience is taking part in
important meetings, briefings, and presentations with prominent political dignitaries. Through various
contacts established within the Senator’s office, I was introduced to a network of politicians, philanthropists,
businessmen and women, including leaders in different fields that will be of importance in the future. As a
student of Diplomacy & International Relations, I had the opportunity to experience the practical aspects of
real-world issues, which I previously learned in class as theories and concepts."
Karl Wilbur, M.A.
Internship: U.S. Department of Commerce
"This past spring I interned at the United States Department of Commerce in
New York City. My main responsibility was meeting with small business owners
to help them export goods overseas. I compiled market research reports,
contacted overseas consulates and attended trade shows. As a result of the
internship, my knowledge of international trade greatly improved, as well as my
written and oral communication skills. Through networking, meeting with small
business owners and government officials, the internship provided numerous
future job opportunities."
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