Meet Reilly McJury
STUDENT LANDS FIRST U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT INTERNSHIP
Senior Reilly McJury is currently living in Geneva, Switzerland after accepting her second internship with the U.S. State Department. She is working in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, which is the U.S. Government’s primary interlocutor with the United Nations and many other international agencies and organizations. The Bureau advances the President’s vision of robust multilateral engagement as a crucial tool in advancing U.S. national interests.
Major: International Studies
Hometown: Carrollton, Ga.
Favorite Class: Introduction to International Relations
Internships: The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs in the U.S. Mission to Geneva, Switzerland, and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Organization Affairs in the Office of Peace Operations, Sanctions and Counter-terrorism (Washington, D.C.)
Responsibilities: “In Washington, I worked on some topical issues relating to United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Women, Peace and Security; United Nations Security Council, Peacebuilding Commission; and Quadrilateral Consultations. My regional work focused on peacekeeping operations in South Sudan (UNMISS); Abyei (UNISFA); Haiti, Darfur (UNAMID), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). The highlight was participating in the United Nations new member state consultations between senior level Department of State officials and delegations from Rwanda, Australia, Pakistan and Luxemburg.”
What you learned from the D.C. internship: “Diplomacy isn’t reserved for interactions on foreign policy. Diplomacy is utilized daily, whether it’s between government agencies, or foreign counterparts or people within your office.”
Dream Job: “To represent the United States government as a Foreign Service Officer where I would work in an embassy or consulate to advance U.S. interests abroad. I want to work on issues relating to nuclear non-proliferation and arms control, with a focus on counter-terrorism efforts. I have an insatiable urge to explore the world and contribute to make a difference.”
Favorite thing about D.C.: “The energy. It’s as if the city is humming with the steady movement of people running from one place to the next to accomplish something. When I first arrived I was totally appalled by people running up and down the escalator, but within a week I caught myself doing the same.”
What do you miss most about Georgia Southern?: “It’s a tie between feeling at home, and the warm weather. I never realized what a family Georgia Southern was until I was in a new town and all on my own, and as much as I complained about the heat when I was there, I miss it so much now.“
Is your True Blue spirit on display?: “Sure is — the only t-shirt I brought with me was my ‘GATA’ t-shirt, and my portfolio is one that I purchased from the University Store last year with the Georgia Southern logo on the front.”
Faculty Shoutouts: “Dr. Glynn Ellis, who sparked my initial interest in foreign policy, and continued to offer me guidance and challenge me over the last four years; Dr. Jeffrey Palis, who encouraged me to keep trying and pushed to make everything work in terms of my degree; Dr. Pam Bourland-Davis, who backed my decision and helped me prepare as I readied for D.C; and the Communication Arts and International Studies Departments, which both dealt with my frantic visits in the weeks leading up to my departure.”
Hobbies: “My dog Mojo, my family, friends and essentially anything that keeps me active. I hate not having something to do.”
– Sandra Bennett