Parents Committee Grant Winners
Name: Heather Nelson
School: A&S
Major: Spanish and Sociology
Graduation Year: 2010
Heather is interning this summer with US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina in Argentina.
Notes on the first week
Before I arrived in Buenos Aires , Argentina to begin my internship with the State Department at the US Embassy, I knew very few details about the internship and what I’d be doing. I knew that I was going to be working in the American Citizen Services department, but I had no idea what that entailed. After I had a welcome lunch with my supervisor, Foreign Service Officer Heather Macray, the day before my internship, I began to have a better understanding of what I’d be doing and the opportunities that lay ahead.
American Citizen Services is located in the consular section of the embassy. It is our responsibility to help assist and protect Americans who reside in or visit Argentina who may encounter any problem ranging from a lost passport to an illness to a mugging incident. Americans can experience any kind of problem and it is our duty to provide resources, help and aid to them in any way possible and ensure that they receive the appropriate and proper care. It seems like each day my department comes in contact with new issues and is required to solve problems quickly and efficiently. They also deal with American prisoners who are in Argentine jails and check their health status regularly. America Citizen Services acts as a liaison between the Argentine public system (jails, hospitals, police, and government) and American citizens. They negotiate and resolve issues in a manner that best helps an American citizen while respecting Argentine law. I hope to better acquaint myself and understand Argentine law, policies, and culture in order to become an integral member of the American Citizen Service team.
During my first week at the internship, I was expected to respond to different situations and tasks each day. For example, on my first day, my section was hosting an information session for a group of American study abroad students who are interested in entering the Foreign Service. It was my job to compile and produce information handouts for the students, select and purchase refreshments, and answer questions about an internship with the State Department. During my first few days, I was also expected to familiarize myself with basic passport procedures and the answers to common questions that American citizens may have, such as how and where to find a lawyer, obtain a driver’s license, and document a birth in Argentina . I began the fundamental training to become better acquainted with basic procedures and responses to issues such as births abroad, sickness, American prisoners, robberies, victims of crimes, and adoptions. I was also assigned the task of composing and compiling the quarterly newsletter that is sent to all American citizens residing in Argentina from American Citizen Services. This newsletter provides Americans with important information that they should know while residing in Argentina . I was also given the project of writing a Fourth of July twenty minute speech for the Consul General. She will give it to over 200 Americans living in Argentina on the fourth of July in Cordoba , Argentina . Its goal is to stress the importance of the friendship and relationship between Argentina and America . By the end of the week, I was answering calls and speaking to citizens in both Spanish and English, relaying the information they needed and connecting them to the appropriate officers who could better help them. We also received a bundle of lost passports from the airport, and I worked on contacting their owners and getting their addresses to send them back. I also attended several department meetings, had a welcome meeting with the Charge d’Affairs Thomas Kelly (current head of the embassy since the Ambassador recently left to work in Iraq), and met with other supervisors who all advised me on my internship, Buenos Aires, and a career in the Foreign Service.
After my first week at the Embassy, I have learned many new acronyms, how an emergency passport is issued and how to answer basic questions that Americans may have. I am slowly becoming more acquainted with Argentine culture and procedures. I found it surprising, but relieving that American Citizen Services gives very personal care and attention to its constituents’ problems- we treat people like real people, not a number. The team works diligently to help Americans as best as they can and provide as much help as possible.
I would like to continue to use and improve my Spanish, better familiarize myself with our responses to problems, increase my problem solving abilities, and improve my writing, listening and people skills. I am excited for my first jail visit and to go out into the field. Composure is very important for Foreign Service Officers and I’d like to master dealing with people in a calm and efficient manner. I am also seriously considering a career in the Foreign Service, so I would like to continually assess my progress in this internship to decide whether or not this is a good career for me. I want to appropriately represent the United States with integrity to the Argentine people. I hope to successfully communicate and work collectively with both Argentines and Americans to establish a strong bond and friendship between the two countries. I am looking forward to the fourth of July Party which will be hosted at the ambassador’s residence on the third of July. I will be working this party, while meeting and networking with important Argentine citizens. I have already learned so much from my internship and I am excited to learn more each day as I encounter new problems and tasks.
Midway
After five weeks in Buenos Aires, I have developed a much stronger grasp of the Argentine people, government, and culture and learned a lot about how the state department functions and why diplomacy is so important.
On the third of July, our embassy hosted a Fourth of July party to celebrate America ’s Independence. We invited over 1,000 guests, including Argentine government and public officials, corporate sponsors, diplomats from embassies all over the world and other influential citizens of Argentina and the United States. It was diplomacy at its best, as nations from all over the world came together to join in the celebration of the inalienable rights of equality, life, liberty and happiness defined in our declaration of independence. Embassy staff was required to work this event and help the party run safely and smoothly. I was responsible for welcoming and ushering guests as they arrived. It was a great opportunity to meet influential Argentines, Americans, and diplomats from all over the world.
Much preparation went into celebrating the Fourth of July, and overall, it was a great success. I wrote a speech that was delivered by the Consul General, Jennifer Noronha, for a group of American Citizens celebrating the holiday in Cordoba, Argentina. It highlighted the importance of freedom and equality and how these inalienable rights defined in our Declaration of Independence help to foster the friendship between Argentina and the U.S. as both countries work together to solve social, economic and political problems. I also wrote a fourth of July newsletter for the Charge d’Affaires, Tom Kelly, which was distributed to all American Citizens living in Argentina. We received several responses from American Citizens who very much appreciated the embassy’s message and gesture in the celebration of freedom and independence.
Lately, Argentina has been very hectic. Argentines had their legislative elections on June 28th. It was a great opportunity to observe argentine politics and their election process. The H1N1 flu has also had a huge impact on the city. The government declared Argentina in a state of National Emergency. So far, more than 3,000 cases and 80 deaths have been reported. Many schools have closed or extended their holidays in order to fight the spread of the flu. Much hysteria and panic has ensued.
As a result, many American citizens are worried about living and traveling in Argentina- whether or not they should come, how to prevent the flu and what they should do if they contract H1N1 in Argentina. It is my department’s responsibility to manage this health emergency, especially since our department’s main concern is the health and safety of American Citizens in Argentina. Our section has been closely monitoring the situation and producing the most accurate information about the flu for Americans in order to best protect their health. We answer many emails and calls from worried Americans and try to best advise them on the situation.
Some of my most memorable days working at the embassy so far have been my field visits. One day, I went with my supervisor on a welfare visit. A 16 month old American citizen was taken from the United States to Argentina by his mother and never returned. His father, an American citizen, was very worried about his son’s condition. It was our responsibility to monitor the child’s health and living conditions since he is an American citizen. Another day, I went to a public hospital in Buenos Aires to monitor the health condition of a prisoner. He complained of chest pains and was in the cardiac unit. We made sure that he was aware of his rights and had clothes and basic amenities. Both citizens were extremely surprised to receive such personal care and treatment and were very grateful for our visits. For me, it was very interesting to observe how the legal system is intertwined with our work. We can only help to a certain extent in these situations since our concern is health and safety. We cannot legally intervene with other aspects of the situations.
In June, the whole consular section participated in an administration emergency training day. Our emergency situation was: a plane from Argentina destined for San Francisco crashed. We spent the morning brainstorming how we would react to this emergency, how to best handle calls from families, how to organize our staff, etc. We practiced mock telephone calls and created a plan on how to approach the situation. I enjoyed hearing my co-workers’ suggestions and combining all of our ideas to come up with the best solutions for our emergency. This was an important training exercise and helped to prepare my section for emergencies in the future.
Last Sunday, my roommate and fellow intern was robbed in broad daylight on a main street in Buenos Aires. I was walking alongside of her when the thief pulled her jacket to distract her as he snatched her purse and ran. Although these types of crimes occur several times a day in Argentina, it was still a real surprise and eye-opener to see it first hand. I will be writing a blurb about crime and safety awareness in the Newsletter that American Citizen Services produces and distributes to American Citizens in Argentina. I have been researching our crime log to see which areas have the most robberies and at what times. My roommate is still traumatized by this event and it has given me a greater appreciation for what I do. When I return the stolen passports, wallets and purses to American Citizens, they are so happy and overjoyed. After this experience, I can understand why they are so relieved to have their valuables returned.
It is always nice to know that our government cares about its citizens and wants to help protect them. American Citizen Services can only help so much legally in certain situations. However, our department is a comfort to citizens and their families as they encounter dangers and problems while in Argentina. I am proud to be a part of this team and help in whatever way I can.
Final Reflections
It's hard to believe that my internship at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires is finally over. Although I've only been interning for nine weeks, I feel so acclimated and integrated with the embassy staff and Argentine people. I have had a wonderful experience interning for the Department of State. I worked with such bright, enthusiastic and caring Foreign Service officers who were so quick to help and offer their advice and guidance. Their dedication to the mission has inspired me and piqued my interest in pursuing a future career with the Department of State.
My last few weeks here have been very exciting. I visited an American Citizen who was being discharged from a public mental hospital with my supervisor to check on his condition. I also visited two American prisoners in an Argentine jail and an American prisoner at the court house. I enjoy going on field visits because I am given the opportunity to see another side of Argentina that most tourists do not get to see. Their public hospitals, jails, and court systems are so different than ours, and most of the Americans we visit are very appreciative of the resources and help we provide.
I also helped prepare and give a Security Briefing with my supervisors for students studying abroad in Argentina. About 150 American Students attended the briefing to learn how to stay safe and better protect themselves while studying in Buenos Aires. We provided them with information about the resources available in the event that they do encounter a problem. I also helped update our Doctor's List for American Citizens. I contacted over 100 medical professionals and facilities to update their information. The Embassy will host a tourism information session at the end of August which will train hotels, hostels and other tourist personnel how to help Americans in distress. Although I left before the event, I have helped to organize, plan and prepare for it. I also had the opportunity to escort a group of teenagers from an NGO in Buenos Aires called the Defensores del Chaco to an Ataris concert. The embassy has a music committee and tries to integrate American bands with the Argentine people. It's a really cool concept started by Ambassador Wayne, many in the embassy refer to it as "Rock and Roll Diplomacy."
This internship honed my writing and communication skills. The field visits were some of the most challenging parts of my internship, but the most rewarding. The American citizens I met really trusted me and relied on my advice and resources to help them through their problems. It was a huge responsibility and at times stressful. However, I liked dealing with these issues the most. I've learned how to maintain composure during high stress situations and how to work with people of different backgrounds, thoughts and personalities to accomplish tasks. This internship showed me that each person has a different work ethic, strengths and weaknesses; however, each person is an equally important part of the team. This internship strengthened my team work, communication, problem solving and organizing skills. It forced me to step outside of my comfort zone to help others.
I'd like to thank to Parents Committee for supporting me during this internship. It has been an incredible experience and I am certain that it will help guide me in the future as I decide which career to pursue.
