By Rebecca Perkins, '04
Funding: Dickey Center, Financial Aid Office
When I departed for Austria, I was almost sad to be leaving the United States at such an important time! It was fall of 2002, and I was eager to watch my country react to the political events that were unfolding. This made my departure a bittersweet day, but I realized as soon as I got to Vienna that I was not going to escape the aftershock of 9/11; I was heading even closer to the center! I was going to be working with the State Department- the amazing, multi-armed organization that spans the globe with American representatives. I was going to witness firsthand how foreign policy passes from decisions in Washington into reality.
My first day at the Embassy, I was shown the immense structure, which felt surreal. There were grand halls and marble staircases, an elegantly decorated Ambassador's office, and people constantly moving in and out of the Embassy. My department, the Public Diplomacy section, was fast-paced and fascinating. Cables would come from Washington with the latest policy change; we had events from around the globe to discuss; press releases floated through our office every day with amazing speed; and the phones never ceased to ring with requests for what America had to say.
The Public Diplomacy Section conducted media relations for the Embassy and coordinated various types of cultural programs, both of which contribute to the way in which Austrians view the United States. I was under the supervision of the Assistant Public Affairs Officer, who worked primarily with the cultural section. It was my responsibility to coordinate various events, contact specific diplomatic guests, and organize the briefing or debriefing of our international attendants. I also worked at the American Reference Center, which was a resource open to Austrian citizens and American personnel, regarding all issues pertaining to America. My most concrete responsibility was to create policy and history fact sheets and other documents to distribute to the press and to diplomatic guests of the Embassy. At times, I even worked with the Deputy Chief of Mission to assist in preparing remarks or researching a matter of specific interest. I also was in charge of creating a presentation about our office for a Congressional Delegation and coordinating the entire office's input into the project. Overall, I felt very involved in the office; I had a security badge, a desk, and no shortage of work!
One of the best elements of working at the Embassy was how the experience tied politics to my daily life. After I heard news on CNN International, I would go to a staff meeting at the Embassy and see how the U.S., as a country, was reactioning. I had lively, educational conversations in my office, and I wrote documents relevant to the events unfolding. In addition, I witnessed European reaction to and interpretation of all of these events. It was so gratifying to know that each day, at whatever microcosmic level, I was involved in what was happening.
On top of the amazing internship, I seized every opportunity to travel. Almost every weekend, a fellow intern and I were off on another adventure to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, or Switzerland. I could go to a new country, with a new language and a new culture, that was only a twenty-dollar, five-hour train ride away! I saw so many amazing, exciting, and fascinating places, and felt like a true "student of the world," if you'll allow me the clich, for it seems appropriate. I did my best to see all I could, feeling that every mere chance at exposure was a chance to learn more.
My off-term in Vienna was, in many ways, more valuable than any classroom experience. Not only did I grow and learn new perspectives, but I also did so as a professional. The experience reminded me why I am at Dartmouth, completing endless homework questions, papers, and tests. I am doing this now so that I can be involved, be aware, and be able to contribute, when this surreal part of my life called "college" passes by. I had a truly worthwhile experience; without it, I'd just be one more college student, caught up between Math class and lunch. Now, I see that I can at least change my own world, one day at a time.
