International and Global Studies Students Participate in State Department Internships

Maya Ungar and Jacob Condran

Two students in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences were recently placed in highly competitive internships with the U.S. State Department.

Maya Ungar, an honors triple major in international and global studies, political science, and French, completed a nine-week internship at the Office of Western European Affairs in Washington, D.C. In this position, she worked on issues related to bilateral relations and multilateral ventures between the United States and 14 Western European countries. Her work included conducting research for country-relevant Freedom of Information Act requests and briefing groups of foreign students on bilateral relations between the U.S. and other countries.

Ungar even had the opportunity to draft remarks for the president of the United States to utilize at the swearing in of the French ambassador to the U.S., to help organize the swearing in of the U.S. ambassador to Ireland by the vice president, and to draft an official statement celebrating Bastille Day in France.

As Ungar recalled, “My internship was an incredible opportunity to learn more about transatlantic relations and diplomacy while working in the heart of U.S. policy-making.”

Jacob Condran, triple honors major in international and global studies, history, and political science, was offered two possible internships, one in Luxembourg and the other in Cyprus. Given his interests in international security, Condran chose the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus, where he worked as a regional security intern. His duties included preparing emergency action plans and coordinating visits by the ambassador across the United Nations buffer zone to the unrecognized region of Northern Cyprus. In Nicosia, Condran conducted research on regional security issues and was part of a team that investigated the origins of an errant missile from Syria that landed a few miles north of capital.

As Condran explained, “The best part of working in Cyprus was learning more about international security in one of the most political situations in the world. I learned a great deal and came away with a lot of questions about the politics of unrecognized countries, which I hope to explore further in my honors thesis.”

Laurence Hare, director of the international and global studies program, applauded the hard work and professionalism of both Condran and Ungar.

“Based on the feedback we have received, we are incredibly proud of these students,” he said. “And, we are grateful to the Department of State for giving them meaningful policy experience and the chance to use the area knowledge and research skills that they are gaining in the classroom.”

Hare added, “We encourage other motivated students to follow their example and pursue these opportunities.”

A version of this story also appeared in the U of A’s Newswire publication.