With the help of the Pioneer Leadership Program Passport Fund, I was able to accept an amazing opportunity to partake in an internship with the U.S. Department of State for Summer 2021. More specifically, I accepted a role under the EUR Management Section of the U.S. Consulate in Dusseldorf. As someone who relies on a full-ride scholarship to attend the University of Denver throughout the school year, I always worked over the Summer in order to save money. The State Department internship I received an offer for was completely unpaid and the only way I was able to accept the internship was through the help of scholarships and grants. I am grateful for the PLP community and their support. Through this experience, I have learned more about the role of the State Department in maintaining diplomatic presence and relationships abroad.
After receiving my government issued Security Clearance, I began my internship at the Consulate General Düsseldorf. Dusseldörf is seen as a microcosm of Germany and I joined at a really interesting time, for the consulate and for Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel is not up for reelection and for the first time in 16 years, a full run for the chancellorship is in full swing leading up to the September 2021 election. Working with the small POL-ECON team, I had a hands-on role in the development of critical assignments – many of my assignments were related to the upcoming election. Two academic skills or abilities that I have developed throughout my internship as a result are my oral and written expression.
On average I had around 2-3 meetings per week. I worked directly with the leaders of the Political, Economic, and Management sectors, as well as the other interns. Due to the virtual nature of my internship, meetings were held very early in the morning for me and each meeting was an opportunity to get social interaction with my coworkers. Every Tuesday, the day began with a meeting with the entire POL/ECON team. Usually everyone would give a report on what they have been working on and what they will be working on for the next week. Our supervisors would brief us on any meetings that were of particular importance and give us information on what other sections of the consulate were doing. There would also always be time for a discussion of current events – especially related to the election candidates and global news. I really enjoy the POL/ECON meetings as I have gotten to know some of the State Department employees better and we have constructive and open conversation that is engaging. In addition to the POL/ECON meetings, I would have 1-on-1 meetings with my supervisors. In these meetings, I received specific instructions for assignments and was also given the chance to ask any questions I wanted about a career with the State Department or current events. Also, in these meetings, I would receive crash courses on German politics and German history that was relevant to my assignment. In my many meetings, I developed my ability to orally communicate my ideas and perspectives in a cohesive and supported manner. I had to be eloquent and professional and am now more confident when communicating with higher-ups.
To be prepared for meetings and adequately complete my written assignments, another activity I engaged in was a lot of research and reading. Interns are highly encouraged to have an understanding of current events in the world and especially in the host country. The State Department Mission Germany would send daily briefings and I would also devote time each day to reading reliable German news sources such DW, Der Spiegel, and Rheinische Post. In addition to the daily digest from each of the German sources, I would also keep up to date on global news – especially related to the COVID-19 pandemic and technology. I have never been more well read on current events and I have realized just how fascinating and important it can be to know about what is going on in the world.
My written assignments took up the largest amount of my time and they really helped me develop my written expression. I would be given a short briefing and instructions on the assignment expectations and then I was given time to complete the assignment. One of the first assignments I received provided necessary political background information. I was given old biographies and was tasked with updating them and adding in new research findings. Once I completed that assignment, I was asked to write the biographies myself. I was given a name and a template from my supervisor. It was up to me to research and find all the necessary information to complete the biographies. The most recent assignment I have been working on I have named “Diverse Candidates for the Bundestag”. In this assignment, I was asked to research all of the potential candidates running for the Chancellorship in September 2021 (there are over 15 from each party), and determine which ones come from the NRW that have diverse backgrounds – whether this be gender, migration, sexuality, or religion. I am in the process of compiling all of the information and forming a table and small briefing detailing each diverse candidate and the value they could bring to the German chancellorship. These past assignments have required immense amounts of research and writing and I have become more knowledgeable about the German government and election system. Since there is a new consulate general at the Düsseldorf consulate, the biographies will help the consulate general understand who the key players in NRW, Germany are. After I completed the Diverse Candidates for the Bundestag assignment, my next task was to write a cable. A cable is a briefing on a certain topic pertaining to the consulate that is sent to Washington, D.C. I chose my topic in consultation with my supervisor and settled on writing about refugee rhetoric regarding Afghanistan and the impact on the upcoming federal election. I have worked on my professional writing skills and my writing has contributed to the U.S. State Department.
Throughout my internship, especially due to the virtual nature of it, there have been many opportunities to develop my oral and written expression skills – in English and surprisingly,
German! Although there was no requirement to know German, after discovering that I knew some, one of my supervisors unexpectedly helped me develop my German language skills. Since it was her native language, we began casually conversing in German. She sent me German articles to read and after a while, she assigned me tasks to complete in German.
The notoriety of an internship with the U.S. State Department will perk the ears of future employers. I was able to connect with many of my coworkers on LinkedIn and plan to nurture those connections into the near future and beyond. This, in addition to my previous internship with the Securities and Exchange Commision, have given me the experience and perspective I need to gather an understanding of the inner workings of the government. Through these internships, I have learned what a career with the government could look like if I were to pursue one and they now remain options for me in the future. This internship has increased my interest in pursuing a career with the U.S. State Department. The work that is done seems fulfilling, rewarding, and increasingly important in our globalized world.
Going forward professionally, I will explore a consulting career within the private sector – possibly specializing in government and public services consulting due to my experience. Over the course of the next few months, I will find and apply for internship positions with consulting firms to hopefully secure an internship for the Summer of 2022. Personally, since I am studying abroad in Europe this Fall, I will make it a goal of mine to go to Düsseldorf. I would like to explore the place that I would have been living if I went to Germany, meet my supervisors in person, and eat some authentic schnitzel. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the U.S. State Department and the consequent lessons I have learned as a result of it. The Pioneer Leadership Program’s Passport Fund allowed me to take this opportunity in full stride and I have become a better student, and person, because of it. Thank you so much for your support in my endeavours.
Sincerely,
Alisa Sautter
University of Denver 2023
The PLP Way 