Name: Grace Montgomery
Year: Senior
Major: Economics & International Affairs with minors in Computer Science and Portuguese
With the summer right around the corner, you might be wondering how you’re going to gain crucial career experience while satisfying your wanderlust. Probably doesn’t sound possible, right? Wrong. Fellow Nole, Grace Montgomery proves that a semester abroad isn’t as unobtainable as it may seem. She spent this past semester exploring Europe while participating through an FSU-funded internship with the U.S. embassy and Her Campus got the inside scoop of how she made this dream come true!
Her Campus (HC): What was your experience abroad like?
Grace Montgomery (GM): I spent last semester abroad via an internship with the Department of State, working in the Political & Economic sector of the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal. The three-month long internship gave me the opportunity to grow personally and professionally. I got a glimpse of what it takes to work in government, practiced my Portuguese and spent my weekends traveling around the beautiful beach towns and historic cities of Portugal!
HC: What was it like working for the U.S. Embassy?
GM: At the U.S. Embassy, every day was different! My days at the embassy were jam-packed with a diverse rotation of tasks. Between special events such as meetings with other embassies, attending international conferences or meeting with representatives from the U.S., I would assist the Foreign Service Officers (FSO) in the Political & Economic sector with their daily tasks. I was also responsible for reading the Portuguese newspapers each day, translating and choosing which current event topics were to be included in the daily report for Washington D.C. The internship gave me the opportunity to step into the role of FSO, drafting “cables” and other reports on the Portuguese economy and politics. I was tasked with planning and executing special events with the embassy, such as a celebration to launch the embassy’s zero-plastics initiative. However, one of my favorite engagements with the embassy was when we took a mini road trip to speak to high school students in the south of Portugal about the American college experience!
HC: How were you able to travel abroad with FSU?
GM: I wouldn’t have been able to do this internship without the support of FSU’s Social Science Scholars program. My junior year, I applied and was selected as one of eighteen 2018 Social Science Scholars. The program gives students $5,000 for a project of their choosing – they can use the funds for a research project or an internship. The program is open to sophomores and juniors in the College of Social Sciences. I also applied for and received additional funding from the Career Center’s Internship Fund.
HC: What advice do you have for those who are planning to travel/work abroad?
GM: My advice for those that are planning to travel or work abroad would be to make the most out of your time abroad. Limit your time on Netflix, and instead, go check out a new restaurant or concert. Don’t be afraid to use apps like Meetup or Couchsurfing to meet other travelers in the area – I’ve found that the best friendships come from meeting other international travelers! Don’t be afraid to stay in a hostel too, it’s a great way to meet a lot of other young people if you’re traveling alone.
Also, always try to communicate in the local language. You don’t want to give in to the “ignorant American” stereotype, the locals will appreciate the effort. Download Duolingo and start learning! (I also recommend downloading the regional language on Google Translate, so you can translate without Wi-Fi – this saved me on a trip to Germany.)
If you’re looking at study abroad opportunities as a student, look for experiences that coordinate with your career goals, or that will give you employable skills (language skills, writing, data analysis skills, etc.). Don’t be afraid to study abroad during a fall term – yes, you’ll miss out on football season (albeit this last one was a good one to miss), but you’ll gain so much more from an experience abroad. I also recommend looking for internships or study abroad opportunities in your field, even if they are not affiliated with FSU International Programs (FSU IP) in any way. There are so many amazing opportunities out there, not just FSU IP!
FSU now sponsors newly-admitted students to take their own gap year, and I could not recommend applying to the program more. Look at FSU Gap Fellows (https://cre.fsu.edu/programs/fsu-gap-year-fellows) and tell your siblings/friends that are applying to FSU!
All photos courtesy of Grace Montgomery.