I was an intern for the Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council close to four years ago today. Wow, how time flies! I started as an intern working for school credit while completing my bachelor’s in international studies. I was lucky enough to be offered a paid intern position and stayed with the council for a year. The internship made me realize how rewarding it was to work in soft diplomacy, helping establish relationships with other states. I learned a lot along the way about many different topics like disability, government accountability, and youth development.
I decided to get my master’s in political science to be a competitive applicant to join the wonderful world of diplomacy. Sadly, I had to leave the internship to pursue a graduate assistant position that would pay for half of my tuition. Nevertheless, thanks to the experience, I was able to be competitive enough to be offered a job with Homeland Security. At the moment, I am also serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer for Maui county as a Workforce Development Advocate and Community Educator. None of this would have been possible without my learning experience as an intern at the Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council!
– Scarlett Muñoz Perez
