Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a series of journal entries written by Heidi Lynch as she reflects on her undergraduate educational experiences. Part 3 was published on March 10, 2004.

10/7/04

A Summer of “Firsts”

Schöne Grüße aus Deutschland! This installment of my journal for The Mentor comes to you from Berlin, Germany, where I am spending the fall 2004 semester in a study abroad program. I've only been here for a few weeks, but I can already tell that the next few months will be an amazing learning experience, both inside and outside the classroom.

In adjusting to life in Berlin, I think I have a slight advantage over some of the other American students because I spent the summer living and working in Frankfurt, Germany. I interned for the U.S. Department of State at the American Consulate General in Frankfurt, one of the largest U.S. diplomatic posts in the world. Approximately one thousand Americans and several hundred local employees work in Frankfurt for the State Department and the many other federal agencies, such as the Department of the Treasury and the Secret Service, that are also based there. Besides the Frankfurt consulate, three other consulates in Munich, Leipzig, and Hamburg and the embassy in Berlin make up “Mission Germany,” the American diplomatic presence in Germany.

I worked in both the executive and political/economic sections of the consulate. In the executive office, I worked under the consul general and the deputy principal officer, the number one and number two American officers at the consulate, respectively. I also worked with the American and German members of the political/economic section. My job responsibilities fell into three main areas: administrative, representational, and reporting. I helped support the administrative activities of the executive office by drafting memos, organizing contact lists, translating for German speakers contacting the office, and generally assisting in the daily activities involved in running an organization of over one thousand employees. I also served as a representative of the consulate, the State Department, and the U.S. itself at numerous events and receptions in the business, arts, and diplomatic communities of our consular district. Finally, I fulfilled my reporting responsibilities by researching various issues for my coworkers and by contributing to official State Department reports on political and economic issues in southwest Germany.

I loved the work that I did this summer. It was great to have a job that really put to use what I have been learning at Penn State as an international politics and German major. Another terrific part of my job was the opportunity to interact with my coworkers. As veteran members of the Foreign Service, they had worked literally all over the world and had incredible stories to tell. It was also fascinating to observe the many ways in which the consulate served both Americans and non-Americans living in southwest Germany. I saw how the State Department grants visas, how the U.S. government supports Americans living abroad, and what security measures protect Americans abroad. One of the most exciting features of my job was the chance to interact with many interesting public figures. I met many high-ranking members of the U.S. State Department, Congress, and military, as well as several German politicians and members of the diplomatic community in Frankfurt. Two especially unforgettable experiences were meeting Afghan president Hamid Karzai and his entire cabinet and discussing German labor policy over lunch with the chief economist of Daimler-Chrysler.

Both inside and outside the office, this summer was a summer of firsts for me. My internship at the consulate was my first nine-to-five business-suit-and-briefcase “real” job. I had worked as a nanny, a waitress, and retail salesperson but never in a professional setting. I also experienced new things outside the workplace this summer. I lived completely alone for the first time, had my first apartment, and experienced living overseas for the first time as well. Living on my own in Germany was fantastic. I loved practicing my German skills and observing another culture from an inside perspective. I also had the opportunity to travel, making my way through much of western Germany and also visiting Paris.

This summer was also the first time that I lived more than a few hours away from my home, friends, and family. Though there were two other interns at the consulate who were fantastic to spend time with on the weekends, I was sometimes a bit lonely in my big, empty apartment. I was surprised by how much I missed being involved in the little events of home: my little cousins' birthday parties, family reunions, fireworks and cookouts on July 4th, and watching movies with my friends. Although I had a fantastic experience in Frankfurt, by August, I was ready to come home to Pittsburgh. This summer I realized just how deeply connected I am to my home and the network of friends and family that I have there.

One of my goals for this internship was to help clarify my plans for a career. By August, I had formed two very strong but conflicting impressions of my time working at the consulate. On one hand, a career in the Foreign Service looks very attractive to me as a career. As a Foreign Service officer, shifting from one consulate or embassy to another every two to three years, I would have the opportunity to explore cultures all over the world. I would also enjoy the work itself; a job as a political/economic officer seems especially exciting to me. At the same time, though, this summer reinforced how important it is for me to be involved with my friends and family at home. In addition to being exciting, challenging, and adventurous, the ever-changing lifestyle of a Foreign Service office could be overwhelming as well. If I had to make a decision now, I don't know whether I would choose the professional fulfillment of a career as a globe-trotting Foreign Service officer or the personal rewards of being closer to the network of people that I care about.

However, there are many other options for working in international relations besides working in the Foreign Service—think tanks, non-profit agencies, teaching organizations, and international business also appeal to me as career possibilities. Fortunately, though, I don't have to make a decision right now about what my career will be. I still have a few months to mull things over before my senior year job search begins in earnest. In the meantime, though, I plan to focus my energy on my courses in German politics, culture, and language and on exploring the dizzying, eclectic, incredible energy of Berlin.

—hjl