Student Spotlight: Elisa Santana interns at the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt

Elisa Santana is a rising second year student pursuing her M.A. in Global Policy Studies from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. This summer Elisa is interning with the Department of State at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt in the Political and Economic Affairs section. She has been able to work on many assignments including: writing a speech for the Consul General, working on the Human Rights Report for Germany, presenting to German graduate students, and providing logistics for a conference. Read about her experience below:

     “The U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt is unique place. It’s one of the largest diplomatic missions in the world, which also hosts 10 separate U.S. government agencies and over 1,000 employees. I not only had the opportunity to work in my section, but to learn about– and work with different sections and agencies. From an economic perspective, the region here is extremely important. It hosts the headquarters of the European Central Bank and many major German companies. I had the opportunity to put my knowledge of German businesses and politics to use through research, memos, and presenting on behalf of my section. Most importantly, my supervisors and colleagues at the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt treated me with respect. They encouraged me to take on large responsibilities and provided a space for real professional development. Finally, I can’t speak enough on how prepared I felt going into this internship. From taking a core course with Executive Director, Will Inboden, to the Clements Center’s portfolio program, I was provided with the knowledge needed for a career at the State Department.”