Notes from the Field: Jonas Stakeliunas '20

Jonas Stakeliunas '20 interned with the Republic of Lithuania permanent mission to the United Nations in New York City​ for the Winter 2018 term. The following is an excerpt from his internship report.

This winter, I completed my internship at the Republic of Lithuania permanent mission to the United Nations in New York City. The Lithuanian mission is relatively small (7 diplomats and 2 administrative workers), and I was the only intern for half of my time there. As part of a small group, I had the pleasure of assisting all of the Lithuanian diplomats and got a chance to get hands on experience on every type of topic related to the United Nations. 

During my internship, I was able to attend a variety of different events ranging from very small and informal meetings with European Union delegates to Security Council meetings. My main responsibility was going to the assigned events/meetings and preparing reports for the foreign ministry of Lithuania, which are first reviewed by the relevant diplomat. Through the internship I learned many valuable lessons: I was able to gain an insider perspective on how the UN operates, the daily work of diplomats, how international dialogue and public policy is made, and the effort necessary to make an impact in such a large and important organization. 

This internship has allowed me to get a better sense of my desired career path. It was such a privilege to work alongside diplomats from all over the world every day. I was able to make connections with people around me and take in as many diverse perspectives about the UN and diplomatic work as possible. This helped me to form a more educated and well-rounded opinion about the UN and diplomatic work in general and gave me a chance to meet some wonderful, highly successful people that I can look to as role models. I am extremely grateful for the financial assistance the Rockefeller Center provided me as it helped make this experience possible.