Photo Essay!

Click "Full Screen" to have maximum viewing capabilities :)

My Ideas about Life Outside of High School

How might internship influence the direction of your life? This particular internship showed me San Diego as a city with so much to offer. I didn't realize how many opportunities there were just within this county. It also showed me that I should be passionate about whatever field I choose to go into because there is so much choice out in the world. As I was researching resources for the Citizens Diplomacy Council to use, I came across organizations that I have never dreamed existed. I also know that I want to work within a small company because of work environment. At CDCSD, I always feel encouraged and I think that gets lost in a big company because of the amount of people, but as of now I have nothing to concretely compare it to. Through this internship, I also know that I am going to have to be in a field which is project based because I realized my attention span is not long enough to withstand repetition. I have been working on three projects during my time at CDCSD and they have all kept me engaged because of their interest and the amount of time each project lasted.

What new questions has your internship inspired you to ask about our world? What has it made you wonder about? What are you moved to go out and do or learn about on your own time?
Yesterday, I attended a seminar at the Trans-border Institute at the Institute of Peace and Justice about a book called “Police and Public Security in Mexico.” It was an amazing seminar that identified the problems in the police force in Mexico and stated solution oriented ideas about how to combat the issues. Much of the seminar was new information to me as I have not researched Mexican governance in depth. Attending this seminar and being exposed to all the realities of this issue has inspired me to look into it further and be active in getting the word out. This was an opportunity that came up during my internship, and I was fortunate enough to be invited to go!

My Work as an Intern

How did you measure the success of the work you did while you were an intern? What did you learn from this?
School makes the process of validating work very simple and straight forward. Throughout my life I have received letter grades denoting the quality of the work that I have produced. This internship has taught me to be independent of outside validation. The work that I have produced during my internship was ultimately for the organization but it was for me as well. I was given guidelines but it was up to me to decide the caliber of work that I wanted to turn in to my mentor. I measured the success of my work by how hard I worked to produce it. In my first couple of days here, I created a flyer. I had four separate drafts, with notes on each because that was the standard I held myself up to. Because I felt that I worked hard I knew that this flyer was a success. I quickly learned that I should be proud in the work that I produce and I should hold myself up to very high standards.

How did you make a meaningful contribution to your workplace?
I felt like that work that I am doing has actual meaning because there is purpose behind it, no matter how menial the task. I was asked to cross reference a document with programs and find the ones that weren't already in a specific excel spreadsheet. It wasn't the most exciting task in the world but it had purpose because the organization needs to have a running list of programs, so someone had to do it. I was happy to be "someone" because I knew how important this task actually is. I have also brainstormed a list of things for the Iraqi Youth Delegation to do in San Diego. This was meaningful because I brought a perspective that was different to some of the programmers as I am the age of the delegates.

College & Career Connections

I have always considered college as a necessary stepping stone onto my future career or life, and my internship has reinforced this notion. However, this particular job shows me how varied college experiences can lead you to the same end point. There is not one major or minor that works for the field of diplomacy, but rather several like Political Science, International Relations, Business, Communications, etc. Being at the Citizen Diplomacy Council has also opened my eyes to the amount of careers out in the world. I have been creating resource proposals for delegations coming to San Diego from all over the world. These resource proposals have themes such as "Administration of Justice" or "International Security Issues." One of my tasks has been to find possible meetings with organizations & professionals all over San Diego dealing with the program theme. Before my internship I had no idea that and organization like this existed, and through working here I have realized how many other professions actually exist in the world. I have also learned that it is absolutely fine if you don't know exactly what career you want to go into at seventeen years old because I haven't been exposed to all the world has to offer in the professional arena and I am learning more every day. There is no possible way I should already know because of the vast choices out there. I have also realized the importance of curiosity and the willingness to learn more that I will carry onto college. This is all new information to me and the staff at the CDCSD has been so open to questions. They have made me feel so comfortable working here and have encouraged my curiosity making this an environment where it is easy to learn! College is going to be a time for me to explore even more possibilities and be open to all sorts of careers.

Self-Advocating Intern

I think that throughout my schooling I have always been a self-advocate because of my vocal nature. I have carried this skill through my internship as well. My first day of internship, I created a flyer for the youth delegation coming from Iraq. I was familiar with the program Publisher, but I was not very comfortable with the content that needed to be included on the flyer. I was a self-advocate by getting clarification on the purpose of the flyer and working with my mentor to make sure that I understood the content that needed to be included. I wasn't afraid to take charge and ask for help as needed. I had a similar experience with my next task, which was creating a briefing document that included a country background with the goals of the program that was being created by the Citizen Diplomacy Council. I was forthcoming when asked if I had any questions. I needed further explanation on the purpose of the country background so I could tailor it specifically for the need of the document. Because I received more instruction, I feel like I completed the task much more effectively and produced a product that I can be proud of. Today, I finished a task that needed to be completed and knew that everyone in the office was busy with his or her respective projects. I didn't want to sit idle. I remembered a project that was brought up at our staff meeting last Friday and I asked my mentor if I could start working on that project. She thought it was a great idea and thanked me for remembering! I want my time at my internship to be productive and meaningful, and I know that the only way to make sure that holds true is to hold myself accountable. Being a self-advocate is the only way to truly succeed in the professional world.

Picture One.

"Meet the world without ever leaving San Diego"

First Impressions

The Office: The environment at the Citizen's Diplomacy Council is relaxed but very productive, which is a nice surprise because I was expecting an office to be much more inflexible. The general feeling is always constructive but it is apparent to any observer that everyone is enjoying what they do as well. Going into the internship process, I was expecting to be doing several menial tasks, as most interns have to perform. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that this organization knows how to make use of its' interns and every task that I have completed thus far has had purpose.

The Mission: The mission of CDCSD "is to promote global understanding between San Diego citizens and our neighbors around the world." I believe that CDCSD is fulfilling its mission to the maximum and truly promoting global understanding. They have several delegations coming in and just by seeing the planning that goes into these visits, it is obvious that global understanding and tolerance is at the heart of this organization.

My Skills: I have been working on several mini-projects that contribute to a youth delegation coming in August and I know that I am going to need to work on my summarizing skills. There is a plethora of information being presented to me and one of my jobs is to be able to read, understand, and regurgitate into a concise summary.

Likes/Dislikes: I LOVE that I have my own area. I have a desk in the "mahogany room" and I really appreciate having my own space to complete my work. It makes the experience much more positive for me. I also really like that I am getting to work with a variety of people that are working at CDCSD. There are several other interns here, and getting to work with them and learn from them as well, is proving to be valuable in my overall experience.

Mentor Interview!

Company: The Citizens Diplomacy Council of San Diego
Mentor: Cath DeStefano

Please tell me a little about yourself.
She grew up in Niles, MI and has been in San Diego for forty years. She was married for the first time at 59 years old. She has been self employed as an on the road speaker from 1978-2005 and has traveled to 49 states and internationally.
What is a typical work day like?
Cath describes her average work day, and the word that comes to mind is all encompassing. She drew her typically work day out so please see above diagram.
What are the main duties and responsibilities?
Please see above diagram.
Tell me about this organization/company.
CDCSD started as an all volunteer organization and then progressed. They have been affiliated with the State Department for over thirty years.
How is this organization structured?
Please see above diagrams.
What is the purpose of this organization?
The CDCSD's mission states: "To Promote Global Understanding through Dialogue"
How long have you worked here?
It will be Cath's 5th year this May.
Why did you choose to work here?
She came in "off the road" and was supposed to be an interim director and then settled down in San Diego.
What skills and training are necessary for your position?
Initiative, people skills, the ability to see the big picture and do the details
How did you acquire these skills? Through school? On the job?
Through teaching
What qualifications do employees need to be successful here?
Willingness to do new things, honesty, brightness
Do you consider a career in this area satisfying? In what ways?
Yes, she gets to meet the world without leaving San Diego
Do you find there are additional rewards beyond money in this career?
Yes, she gets to make a difference in the course of things
How important is getting along with others in this career?
a 10 out of 10
What other personality traits, skills, or knowledge are important here?
Being a "jack of all trades"
What advice do you have about working here?
Be willing
What other advice do you have for me?
Be curious and ask questions!

What are you excited about learning through this internship experience?

I am really excited to learn the inner workings of an NGO. I have always thought that this particular field interested me, but I'll finally know for sure after my experience. Non-profit work is a field that interests a specific type of person because of the sacrifices that one must make to work in this field, and conceptually I think that I could be a good fit but this internship should bring clarity to my dilemma. I am also really excited to be working under my mentor, Cath DeStefano, who has had amazing life experiences in a variety of fields. She seems like the ideal person to learn under, along with the rest of the staff at the Citizens Diplomacy Council!

The Citizen's Diplomacy Council of San Diego

The Citizens Diplomacy Council is a non-profit organization that strives to promote cultural and global understanding through interactions between San Diegeans and international visitors. Each year CDCSD gets close to five hundred visitors from over 140 countries. The CDCSD was established in 1979 as a volunteer organization, staffed solely by volunteers. In the 1990's, the program became big enough to hire full time staff and has progressed ever since.

The purpose of the Citizens Diplomacy Council of San Diego is to serve as a guide to America, most specifically San Diego, for all that choose to visit. Often times, visitors will choose a theme, such as counter terrorism or higher education, and their visit will be planned according to their theme, highlighting professionals in San Diego who specialize in that arena.

Please click here to find out more about the Citizens Diplomacy Council of San Diego.