Maybe There Is A Light at The End of The Tunnel!

As I scroll through potential internships on the State Department website to get a feel for what I'm applying for, I realize how awesome my majors are. Classes for International Affairs, Editing Writing and Media with an added French minor can be quite laborious, and to be honest, I lose my focus at points but when I look through this it seems like it just may be worth it in the end. Right now I'm applying to work in the Bureau of International Information Programs where potential internship tasks would be:

• To work through daily articles published on USINFO, web chats and digital video conferences (DVCs) between public opinion leaders and overseas audiences, monthly electronic journals, and overseas speaker programs, IIP presents U.S. policy on foreign, economic, security, and global issues, as well as information about American society and values to the rest of the world.
• To enjoy full inclusion and participation with our full-time staff, and your bylined articles will have a global audience, in multiple languages, thanks to the Internet and U.S. embassy officials who place them in local media.
• Attending and writing articles about speeches and press conferences by senior U.S. officials, programs at Washington-based think tanks and nongovernmental organizations, congressional hearings and cultural events
• Design and conduct web chats and DVCs that allow interaction and communication between foreign audiences and opinion leaders in the areas of culture, science, politics and business
• Assist in the production of electronic journals, IIP’s online magazines, which examine a wide range of issues such as human rights, narcotics, terrorism, American society, democracy, and information technology
• Assess, recruit and schedule U.S. officials, people from the academic community and subject specialists for overseas speaking and training programs
• Assist in the provision of information research to public diplomacy officials at home and abroad using top-of-the-line proprietary databases

Or the overseas internship in Europe where I could potentially:

• Conduct U.S. foreign relations with countries in Europe
• Direct, coordinate, and supervise U.S. government activities within these regions, including consular and administrative management issues, and U.S. assistance
• In addition to working on country-specific issues, the bureau offers the opportunity to do multilateral work related to the European Union, NATO, the OSCE, the OECD, the G-8, and the Council of Europe
• "Applicants interested in these multilateral positions should specifically note such interest in their Statement of Interest. in Washington, D.C., and abroad at certain U.S. embassies and consulates throughout the year. When available, housing is provided to interns assigned abroad. For students applying for an internship abroad, you will have an opportunity to specify the country in which you are willing to pursue your internship. You may elaborate on your choices in your Statement of Interest. Duties of both domestic and overseas interns are similar in nature to that of an entry-level professional."

These are just two different positions out of many others that seem absolutely incredible, but these are what I narrowed my interests down for my application. I'll admit to losing sight of where I was going in school, what I was doing with my degrees, and even started to show it in my classes. However, this has helped me regain my sight and direction and I hope that even if I don't get chosen to intern here that I'll eventually work in a setting like this!