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.