Spider diplomats hold their own among world leaders

Juniors Alexia Leca, Mariam Lomtadze, Mia Bouillonnec, and Nina Sretenovic spent their summers in the room among world leaders thanks to their internship opportunities.

Alexia Leca, ‘25, Political Science and Global Studies Major, and Burhans Civic Fellow
Interned with Romanian Embassy in Spain

“I had the unique opportunity to attend an event with the President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, where he spoke about Spain’s energy, infrastructure, mining, agribusiness, and more to promote bilateral economic and business relations, as well as to assess ways of collaboration on projects of common interest between Spain and Chile. I was the youngest person in the room sitting among ambassadors and government officials from all over the world. It was truly an honor and unique opportunity to listen to such remarkable speakers.”

 

Mariam Lomtadze, ‘25, Global Studies: Politics and Governance Major
Interned with United Nations in New York City

“I found myself in the General Assembly with world-class diplomats whom I had previously only encountered through the lens of a television screen, referenced in my research papers, and admired from afar. Now, I had the privilege of daily interactions with them, observing negotiations and witnessing diplomacy in practice. One of the highlights of my experience was working on the resolution concerning internally displaced persons in Georgia. I had the opportunity to participate in drafting the resolution, contribute to the negotiations and voting process, as well as celebrate the adoption of the resolution with a recorded vote of 100 in favor as the General Assembly recognized the right of all refugees to return to their homes throughout Georgia. Witnessing the resounding support of the international community, and being able to contribute to this very personal cause that initially motivated me to pursue a career in international relations and diplomacy, solidified my aspiration to go into foreign service.”

 

Mia Bouillonnec, ‘25, Political Science and Global Studies: Politics and Governance Major 
Interned with the U.S. Department of State in France

"My favorite day of my internship was during my final week when I got to visit The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) headquarters and meet some of the incredible women working in its legal department. While the whole day was extremely interesting, as I plan to attend law school, I greatly appreciated learning from these women's experiences, their advice about law school, and their career journeys.”