First Time Experiences in France and Italy

By Maria Clara Sandoval Durski

I have been in Strasbourg for a little under three weeks now, and nearing the half-way point of my summer experience. These past weeks were already enough for a plethora of new experiences, both professional and personal. From hiking in the Vosges Mountains in France and Sentiero Azzurro in Italy, to attending a high-level governmental committee meeting discussing an important draft-resolution at the Council of Europe.

Looking ahead, I would like to be involved in more of those meetings, as I enjoyed the first one a lot. It helped me confirm the career path I want to follow and provided me with a lot of insight I would not have otherwise. Additionally, I have been learning French since a bit before my experience started. I have seen a lot of improvement already, but hope I will be fully conversational by the end. Lastly, I have a goal to explore at least 4 museums in the city of Strasbourg and attend a live performance.

Since the focus of my time in Strasbourg is my internship, the professional goals are more important at the moment. I want to get as much knowledge and skills out of this summer as I can.

Two general skills I am working on are critical thinking and professionalism. In a diplomatic environment, professionalism is extremely important. Being on time to work and meetings, and delivering high quality output in a timely manner is non-negotiable in this setting. Additionally, there is a social component to professionalism in our communication with coworkers and having respect for the organizational hierarchy.

Critical thinking is present in most, if not all, workplaces. At the Council of Europe, however, it is an absolutely essential skill. In my department, for example, I have had to assess whether a country was in compliance with the articles and statutes of the European Social Charter. As this will be a continuous task throughout the summer, I will continue to improve my critical thinking, research, and cross-cultural communication skills.

These skills are the backbone of my future profession as an international lawyer. I expect to take the lessons I have been learning and apply them directly to law school and my developing career. The opportunity to work with so many professionals in this field further enriches my experience and allows me to network and connect with like-minded individuals doing amazing things in Europe and beyond.

At the moment, the song “I lived” is what captures what I am feeling. During these past couple of weeks I have had so many incredible new experiences and still have so many more planned. Not only have I learned more about social rights, France and Italy, I have also learned a lot about myself in the process.