Feeling inspired after assisting NM Sen. Tom Udall last summer, Gabriel Gallegos dreamed of one day becoming a communications advisor for a United States Congress member, and his new internship just might take him there.
Chosen from a nationwide pool of applicants, Gallegos will be one of 24 students participating in a U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Internship Program: a paid, intensive internship for exceptional sophomores and juniors over two summers, said Anne Callaghan, a senior foreign service officer stationed at UNM.
Callaghan met Gallegos last fall during a recruiting event and recommended he apply for the internship. She is one of 16 U.S. State Department Diplomats in Residence working out of universities nationwide.
She said, as a diplomat, her job is to “promote internship, fellowship and career opportunities for students interested in foreign policy and in having the chance to see the world close-up and help transform it at the same time.” The group looks for outstanding students with an interest in international affairs, studying abroad and internships.
Gallegos, a sophomore political science and strategic communications double major, said he needed to be in good academic standing, be a U.S. citizen and have one year of college under his belt to apply for the internship.
He said after going through a rigorous screening process, he was officially part of the program. He said apartment-style housing with the other interns will also be included.
This summer, Gallegos said he will be working in Washington D.C. in the Office of Press Relations. Initially, there will be a two-week classroom-style period on an overview of the State Department and foreign policy. From there, the group will gain hands-on experience when they are divided into their different bureaus.
Next summer, he will be overseas at a U.S. embassy, applying the knowledge he will learn this summer elsewhere.
Gallegos said he is most excited to meet other individuals from across the country.
“As I shape my human experience, it is important for me to learn from people of different backgrounds, different perspectives,” he said.
Gallegos is also looking forward to learning more about U.S. foreign policy and how the country deals with international crises.
“I have no doubt that Gabe will contribute as much as he gains, and I hope he will consider a career as an American diplomat in the future,” Callaghan said.
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She said she was highly impressed with his enthusiasm and commitment to public service, exhibited by his time as a senator for the Associated Students of UNM over the past year.
She recommends that interested students apply for other U.S. Department of State Student Internships, such as 10-week undergraduate and graduate student unpaid domestic and international internships during the spring, summer and fall.
The U.S. State Department offers other programs, such as Virtual Student Foreign Service internships, throughout the school year.
Callaghan will also host information sessions surrounding U.S. State Department internships, careers and fellowships on Tuesday, April 26 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and again on Wednesday, April 27 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the University Advisement & Enrichment Center.
Gallegos said he's never left the country, and hopes that gaining a new, global perspective will give him valuable experience.
“This program is going to give me so much of that perspective that I think I really need as both a human and a future professional. It’s truly an honor to represent New Mexico on a better level," Gallegos said. "You hear so much that New Mexicans can’t do anything or that we’re low on all these rankings. But, I think, for me, it’s an honor to represent us well on a national and international level.”
Elizabeth Sanchez is a reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Beth_A_Sanchez.
