What has my Gulf Coast Diplomacy Council internship meant for me this year?
Hello everyone! My name is Maggie Brown, and I’ve interned with the Gulf Coast Diplomacy Council since June 2022. I am a third-year student at the University of West Florida, double-majoring in International Studies and Art History.
At this internship, I facilitate the programming of our International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) groups, write proposals, and suppor the team with their own projects. What I love most about this internship is that every day is never the same. Working at such an impactful non-profit as this one has given me the wonderful opportunity to learn more about my community and to give back to it through my work in citizen diplomacy. This internship has honed my skills (professionally and personally) and allowed me to experiment with many different projects. I have gained more confidence in my ability to communicate professionally with international visitors and the rest of the Gulf Coast Diplomacy Council team.
In fact, I think I learn much more from the visitors themselves than what I share with them. They’ve taught me about their meaningful work in their respective countries and even how to have a more confident stance. Interacting with visitors from around the world in Pensacola is a special pleasure.
This year, my favorite moments have been with the Youth Ambassadors, where they taught me quiemada, similar to American dodgeball, and the Mint Jubilee (I won second place for Best Hat.) I’ve made so many fun memories during this internship, and I hope to make many more!
I was fortunate last semester because I was able to count my internship as a course credit for my major. Because of this, I have shared my internship experiences with the rest of my department and have spoken at the 2023 University of West Florida (UWF) Scholars Symposium about my internship as a High Impact Practice. It has been an honor to represent both UWF and the Council because they have given me so many opportunities to grow personally and professionally.
In sum, it is an honor for me to represent the Pensacola community to the rest of the world, to facilitate intercultural communication, and to promote citizen diplomacy.
