When Chloe Quirk began her time at the School of Business, she believed she had a future in real estate ahead of her. However, when she got the chance to spend the summer of 2021 working as an intern for the Political Section of the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Quirk jumped at the opportunity and moved overseas.
Q: Tell me a little about yourself and your major.
A: I’m a junior business administration major. Originally, I wanted to go into real estate, but now I am more interested in careers with the State Department.
Q: What company did you intern for and what was your title?
A: I applied and was selected to be a Summer Intern for the Political Section of the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi, which is the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Q: What were some of the tasks, roles, or opportunities you were given in your internship?
A: I worked on a project where I had to write bios for the Royal Family and politicians/businessmen that would meet with Americans. I attended the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) conference, where I learned about how the U.S. could help with drug abuse around the world. I was also tasked with processing diplomatic notes–the main line of communication between the UAE ministry and the U.S. embassy. Lastly, I was able to participate in a research project on the UAE’s relationship with nations in the Horn of Africa.
Q: What classes at CofC helped you succeed in your internship?
A: I found most of my business school classes to be helpful, especially with the use of Microsoft suite and Excel. The government classes I’ve taken also helped me, as well as the general progressive learning environment here at CofC.
Q: What valuable skills did you gain through your internship?
A: I gained a better understanding of diplomatic relationships and how much of an influence the UAE has on the world, and I learned a lot about how an embassy and its different departments work together to achieve goals in other countries.
Q: We are all about cultivating connections here at the School of Business. How are you planning to use this experience in both school and in the professional world once you graduate?
A: In terms of school, this experience has helped me become better at collecting research, and also improved my time management and project management skills. For the future, it was a good preview of what a career with the State Department would look like and the difference I could make there.
