I was very close to not attending this seminar. In mid-April I had received an email from my school’s career services office and knew that I had to jump on this opportunity. I had little time to complete and send in my application, but the stress was worth it. Participating in PLEN’s foreign policy seminar was a life changing experience.
Washington, DC is an interesting city. It’s spread out, but it feels small. I had never imagined myself living or working here, but now there’s no doubt I love this city! Thanks to PLEN, I was able to visit amazing sites, such as the State Department and the Human Rights Watch office, and hear from inspiring professional women who are leaders in a variety of organizations, such as USAID and the German Marshall Fund. Most of all, I enjoyed meeting like-minded young women who are passionate about politics, global issues, and the future of our world. The friendships I made are indispensable.
If you have any interest in attending, you should go. A PLEN seminar is an invaluable experience. It helped me more concretely visualize what I want as a future career and helped boost my confidence, particularly in professional settings. Just imagine, what can PLEN do for you and your dream? Lastly, I would like to thank the entire PLEN family for sponsoring me and for organizing such an enlightening seminar. This experience would not have been possible without them.
Kira Roybal attended the 2015 Women in Global Policy seminar as a freshman at Cornell University. She received a scholarship sponsored by TE Connectivity to attend the seminar.