Dennis Brownlee, 2023

Dennis BrownleeClass of 2023 (Fall)
Major: Political Science
Concentration: Global Politics
Position: U.S. Mission to the United Nations Intern for U.S. Department of State
Site of internship: New York, NY

1. How did you find your internship?
I was searching for State Department opportunities online earlier in 2022 and found out they
closed applications for Fall 2022 internships. I subscribed to their newsletter to inform me on new ones in the future. One day, I received an email from them informing me that they’re quickly
accepting applications for a new PAID Student internship program for Fall 2022. I jumped onto
that quickly and filled out what I could. I honestly did not expect to be accepted! For a while
afterwards, I did not know where they would send me. It could be in Washington, D.C. or
somewhere abroad. Surprisingly, I was posted to intern in New York City for their diplomatic
mission to the United Nations!

2. What was a typical day like at your internship?
I was assigned to intern in two office sections of USUN (US Mission to the UN). One was for Public Affairs where we dealt with managing strategic communications and public outreach. I personally did a lot of transcribing for our ambassadors, in which they made remarks at the U.N. Security Council and other public speaking engagements. I was also assigned to intern in the Executive office where we did a lot of administrative support and oversight for our ambassadors. I worked on a lot of scheduling. In every office section though, every day is always going to be something new. In the world of international relations, diplomats are constantly reacting to dynamic issues around the world, such as new developments in the Russo-Ukrainian war or civil unrest in Iran.

3. How did being a Political Science Major prepare you for this position?
I was fortunate enough to take POSC 378 – Politics and Practice of the U.N. with Dr. Larry Martinez back in Fall 2021. Before that class, I only had a basic understanding of what the U.N. is and how it worked. If it were not for that class, a lot of U.N. acronyms like ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) and UNGA (UN General Assembly) would’ve confused me. It kept me up to speed in understanding the principal organs of the U.N. Plus, any course on a certain region was very helpful in order to understand the present-day issues there such as POSC 353 – Government and Politics of Western Europe with Dr. Kaskla.

4. What would you consider to be a highlight of your internship?
Witnessing the UN Security Council in person and meeting the US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield!

5. How do you think this internship will help you as you build your career?
One of my long-time dreams is to work for a U.S. Embassy abroad as a Foreign Service officer and interning for the State Department is a step in the right direction. Although I got to intern for their diplomatic mission to a very prestigious international organization, meeting people that currently work for the State Department as an intern is a way to network and find greater opportunities that are out there. Not to mention, interning for USUN made me realize all sorts of work you can do in multilateral affairs!

6. What piece of advice would you give to POSC students looking for internships?
Don’t be afraid to send out an application to any internship you can find. If it remotely interests you, do it! Personally, I felt like I didn’t have much to offer prior to applying for the State Department internship but I sent out an application anyway and it worked out in the end. But don’t put all your eggs in one basket too! Keep sending applications out to the ones you want, because it doesn’t hurt to put yourself out there. Show them that you want it!

7. If you could give POSC students one suggestion for how to make the most of an internship experience, what would it be?
It would be networking! Sometimes, we look at internships as something to tack on the resume for a future employer to see, but it can be much more than that. An internship can be used as a foundation for a career path itself. When interning, you are given a special opportunity to prove yourself professionally. At the same time when you network by building relationships, you are letting others know that you are interested in new endeavors. The time and labor that you put into the internship has a face they can recognize. Hopefully, doing so will open more doors for you.