Ela was a fantastic intern and it seems that she had a fantastic time at the Embassy this summer! What an excellent match 😍 And she is right, the mission to Brussels is really special, being a Tri-Mission, with delegations to Belgium, the European Union, and NATO. We were glad to have her work with us and wish her all the best in her future professional endeavors.
2nd Year MA Classics and International Relations at the University of St Andrews | School of Classics Representative | Foreign Affairs Review Analyst
As my summer internship draws to a close, I wanted to share some of the invaluable experiences I've gained in working for the U.S. Embassy in Belgium these past few months. I was involved in daily reporting to Washington about Belgian economic and political affairs, informing policymakers and their decisions back in the US. Eventually, I was able to write a full length reporting cable on sanctions issues within the EU. This role was particularly important as it coincided with the Belgian presidency of the European Council, highlighting Brussels as an epicenter of political activity throughout the summer. My work focused primarily on environmental issues, but I was able to attend meetings on several other areas of the Economic section's portfolio including cybersecurity, sanctions, and several other topics. In the State Department, we are jokingly told we need to be 'instant experts' in our fields. While I am not an expert yet, I have been incredibly grateful to learn as much as I have about various technical subjects in such a short time. While I have had previous exposure to working in embassies, the mission to Brussels is especially unique -- not only is it a Tri-Mission, with delegations to Belgium, the European Union, and NATO (which I had the privilege of visiting), it also has the largest collection of other US federal agencies in Europe. With the intention of learning more about different career paths in the government, I coordinated information sessions for myself and the 30 other interns to learn from other agencies they may not have known much about before. Through 8 sessions, we were able to meet with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) as well as the Marine Corps detachment in Brussels among several others. It was incredibly enriching to hear about the paths and experiences of senior officials of so many different specialties. Additionally, I was involved in coordinating visits and volunteering at diplomatic events throughout my time at the embassy. I helped coordinate ambassadorial visits to contacts in Belgium but also facilitated visits to the embassy from scholars and other government officials. I volunteered at the Mission's Independence Day event as well, giving me a unique opportunity to support the embassy at one of its largest events and speak with contacts from our allied countries. I would like to thank my section for their support and for providing me with this opportunity, as the team in Pol/Econ made the job fun and provided me with advice that has helped my professional and personal growth. I'd like to thank my supervisor Caryl Merten in particular for her continued support, and for trusting me with important tasks to ensure I made a valuable contribution to the team and the Mission as a whole. I am greatly looking forward to building on this opportunity in the future!
