Thanks to an agreement on Educational Cooperation between IE University and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IEU receives internship opportunities offered by the Ministry on a regular basis. This particular internship was a special recruitment mission due to Spain’s position as a member of the UN Security Council for the 2015/2016 term.
IEU searched for the best applicants for this internship, finally selecting four applicants, who were then accepted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN. Claudia, Celia, and Elena started this remarkable journey May 2016 and were joined by Marco in September 2016. They will support the Spanish diplomats in their daily tasks in New York until January.
In the interest of hearing all about this remarkable experience, #GoingtoIEU will be hosting a blog series dedicated to the journey. Each month, Claudia, Celia, Elena, and Marco will tell us about their internship at the Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations, and their adventures living abroad in the cultural capital of the world, New York.
As the students prepare for the ride of their lives, we’d like you to get to know each member of the group.
UPDATE: The students finished their internships in February 2017. Read the full United Nations Blog Series here:
- It was time for African Affairs
- Things you didn’t know were happening at the UN
- Security Council Meetings
- Ministerial week
- Uniting for peace
- Looking back at Spain’s role in the Security Council
Elena San Deogracias Casado
My name is Elena San Deogracias Casado. I’m 22 years old, and I’m from Segovia, Spain. I have just graduated from the International Relations program at IE University. Having grown up in Segovia, I don’t have the international background some of my classmates have, but studying IR with people from different nationalities has given me the chance to develop an open-minded mindset.
It has been such an enriching experience, and one that I will never forget. If someone would have told me that I would have the chance to work in the Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations, I probably would have laughed. When I received the confirmation that the position was mine, I couldn’t believe it. Even though it was going to be a huge change in my life, I didn’t hesitate to jump at the opportunity! I said yes, and two months later, here I am, attending meetings and consultations with the main representatives of every country of the world. I can’t think of a better way to put all that I have learned at IEU to practice.
Everything we do in life helps us grow. We can learn from everything, even the negative experiences. We just have to keep trying different things in order to know when we are at our best. Who knows where we will end up in the future? For me, the United Nations seems to be a pretty good option!
Claudia Ochoa Lecertua
My name is Claudia Ochoa, I’m 22 years old, and I’m a soon-to-be 4th-year International Relations student at IE. Having grown up in several different countries, I’ve always been interested in traveling, meeting new people, and learning from everything that comes my way. My travels have helped me realize the importance of international collaboration between states, hence the importance of international organizations like the UN.
Upon receiving an email from the Career Service department mentioning an opportunity to intern at the Permanent Mission of Spain to the UN, I didn’t hesitate to apply. It has always been a goal of mine to work at the UN. After being selected for the exam and passing the subsequent interview, I suddenly found myself on my way to New York! In the months to come, I hope to engage with the practical side of what I have been learning in my undergraduate degree. I also want to understand how large-scale international organizations like the UN carry out initiatives.
Celia de La Hoz Sacasa
My name is Celia de la Hoz Sacasa, I’m 20 years old and I’m a 3rd-year International Relations student. My greatest passion is writing and I believe that living in New York while doing an internship at the UN will prove to be a great source of inspiration. My outgoing personality has allowed me to meet people from different cultures and to try to understand their diverse perspectives on life. I think that it was precisely this interest I have developed that pushed me to apply for this internship, and in turn confront injustice on a global scale. From this experience I would like to learn as much as possible, and obtain a greater understanding of what this international organization does for the global community.
Marco Pastor Mayo
My name is Marco and I am 22 years old. The opportunity to intern at the Spanish mission at the UN is very special to me. I was born in upstate New York, and spent my early childhood there before moving back to Spain. This has given me a special interest in news and media from the United States. I also lived in the United Kingdom for five years, where I attended a grammar school. It was during this time that I developed an interest in politics, particularly while I was studying history and philosophy. I learned a lot about international relations following UK, US, and Spanish news as it made me realize what these countries have in common, and helped me identify where they are different.
I couldn’t be more excited to work at the UN. I am a politics junkie, eager to experience world of politics in its purest form. What place better to do that than the UN?
Spain is presently a member of the UN Security Council, which has the awesome responsibility of ensuring peace and security on the world stage. This gives Spain the unique opportunity to work towards the advancement of human rights around the world, and demonstrate our skill to the diplomatic community.