I would like to thank you for your continued support of the Susan Casey Brown Fund, which allowed me to intern with a Canadian diplomatic mission this summer. I have just completed a twelve-week internship with the Permanent Mission of Canada to the International Organizations in Vienna (VPERM), where our team of four diplomats, two interns, and an ambassador represented Canada at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC).
I am entering my last semester at McGill, where I study International Development, Hispanic Studies, and Social Studies of Medicine. For my chosen discipline, there is no substitute to an international experience like the VPERM internship. Though I thoroughly enjoy studying in Montreal, I feel that my practical education begins outside of the classroom and abroad. Without your generous funding, I would not have been able to pursue this internship, so I am immensely grateful to you for enabling me to take advantage of the opportunities it presented. They were particularly invaluable to me as I look ahead to life post-graduation and consider whether I would like to pursue a career in the Canadian foreign service.
I applied to VPERM with the intention of supporting their work at the UNODC, as this relates to my educational background in development and previous work experience in Guatemala. However, when I arrived at VPERM, I learnt I would be covering Canada’s nuclear portfolios. Though I worked on heavy international security files, such as IAEA resolutions on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, I learnt that most IAEA member-states maintain a diplomatic presence in Vienna to receive technical cooperation for peaceful applications of nuclear energy. With the help of IAEA scientists, developing states apply nuclear energy to enhance food security, provide cancer care to their populations, and reduce plastic pollution in their water sources. Covering the work of the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Programme showed me how the Vienna-based International Organizations are pushing to realize the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which was incredible to witness and contribute to. I also had the opportunity to research the role of small modular nuclear reactors in Canada’s energy transition, studying how nuclear power can help us achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Eventually, I had the opportunity to attend UNODC working groups as well, which gave me wholistic exposure to VPERM’s work. During my internship, I attended several conferences on behalf of Canada, wrote reports for VPERM and our policy advisors in Ottawa, and conducted independent research on several priority issues for Canada. All in all, I came away with expertise in international security and development, specialized knowledge in peaceful applications of nuclear energy, and a sense of excitement for what lies ahead after McGill.
When I applied to this internship, I hoped to gain a better understanding of what careers in diplomacy entail. Close mentorship from several VPERM colleagues gave me this, and I am seriously considering working for Global Affairs Canada after graduation. However, equally interesting to me is the prospect of becoming an international civil servant, where one can serve the international community rather than just one’s member-state. I feel this would also be immensely fulfilling, and I look forward to pursuing opportunities where I could apply myself in this capacity. The experience I gained at VPERM and the connections I made in Vienna were a great way to close my time at McGill.
Thank you to the McGill International Experience Awards founders and Mr. Garvin Brown making this experience possible!
