“I don’t believe my accomplishments are solely tied to the projects completed through the summer. Rather, they are tied to the personal growth I experienced.” Read below to learn more about Kevin’s summer experience with the U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program – including what he did, what he learned about the program and himself, and what he will do in the future!
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My summer 2021 internship at the U.S. Department of State was nothing short of an incredible experience. For ten weeks during the summer of 2021, I was part of the U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program. I received two weeks of intensive foreign affairs training and worked for eight weeks as an Foreign Service Intern in the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I received training and completed work virtually. However, the experience was still of equal value.
My office contained a large number of staff but I had the opportunity to work closely with the Regional Unit and its four officers on Hong Kong related topics. This afforded me the opportunity to add measurable value to U.S. Foreign Policy and tackle a wide-range of items including the drafting of Congressional reports, business advisories, and remarks for senior officials. I also created daily press guides for the Department Spokesman and National Security Council. One of my biggest contributions to the Office on Chinese and Mongolian Affairs was my 2021 Update to the Hong Kong Autonomy Act. While drafting this report for Congress, I connected with offices across the Department of State, and Indo-Pacific experts, to develop language that was conducive to U.S.-China Foreign Policy priorities. The report took notable action to address PRC-Hong Kong relations. Additionally, I was proud to coordinate a Congressional briefing between senior Department Officials and the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. The event was a success and Congressional staffers appreciated the content and communication that resulted from the discussion.
I don’t believe my accomplishments are solely tied to the projects completed through the summer. Rather, they are tied to the personal growth I experienced. A major skill I picked up on the desk was working on extreme time limits. Every morning, I started with a short fuse press guidance to draft on issues that occurred overnight in East Asia. Sometimes the press guidance was accompanied by a Secretary of Spokesperson statement. I learned to craft these documents in under thirty minutes, something I couldn’t have done prior to the internship summer. I am also proud of my sharpened proofreading abilities. A large portion of my day was consumed by proofreading and editing documents. With experience comes knowledge, and I feel much more confident in my peer-editing skills. In addition to skills, I learned an incredible amount about the U.S. foreign policy making process, specifically within the State Department and interagency. I feel much more confident in my understanding of foreign policy institutions and their relationship with global institutions. Given the immense amount of professional skills and knowledge gained from this internship, I know USFSIP has prepared me for graduate studies and a future career in foreign affairs
I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program last summer and I can’t wait to complete the remainder of the program abroad at a U.S. Embassy in 2022.
Author Bio:
Kevin Drahos is a third-year student at the University of Iowa studying political science, international relations, and Spanish. In spring 2022, Kevin studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, for his Honors Program experiential learning credit. Kevin has held numerous positions in the past including U.S. Foreign Service Intern with the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs and Intern with the Office of the Chief of Protocol at the U.S. Department of State. Kevin is also a former Madher Serekberhan Fellow with the Linn County Board of Supervisors and former Administrative Intern with the Iowa International Center. At the University of Iowa, Kevin has served on the Presidential Charter Committee for Diversity and CLAS Dean’s Advisory Committee. He is the former Director of Public Relations for Hawk The Vote and former President of Reaching OUT in Business. In his free time, Kevin enjoys cooking, traveling, and reading. He hopes to one day serve as a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State.
Edited by: Delaney McDowell, Honors Student Admin
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