Aidan Swayne, M.A. International Studies, is the latest JSIS student to receive an internship position in the Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) working with the U.S. Consulate General in Vancouver. The VSFS connects the talents of students with the needs of federal agencies. The Canadian Studies Center worked with the Consulate in Vancouver to develop their participation in the VSFS program in early 2022, and Aidan is the second JSIS student to work directly on active projects within the Consulate as a result. The 2023-24 intern project at the U.S. Consulate will be “Pacific Northwest Cross-Border Economic, Energy, Infrastructure and Trade Developments.”
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My name is Aidan Swayne, and I am a second year M.A student at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies here at the University of Washington. I have been at the Jackson School since September, 2018, receiving my B.A in International Studies in June, 2022. My research interests include a wide range of topics from energy policy and history, to global political economics. Currently I am working on a project related to historical U.S energy (Oil) institutions in the Middle East and their lasting impact on geopolitics, political discourse, and historical knowledge frameworks. I was honored to have the privilege of being selected for this year’s VSFS Internship, and appreciate the Canadian Studies program for advocating this Internship be accessible to Jackson School Students. I am very excited to be working on cross border bilateral policy issues between Canada and the United States!
Some of the things that drew me to this internship included first an opportunity to do work centered around a region, the PNW, which I am proud to call home. Second, this is a chance for me to learn extensively about working within the State Department, a sector which I hope to one day foster a career within. Finally, being able to bring academic skills and make an impact on meaningful projects is a rare opportunity and something I am truly grateful for. The U.S Consulate General’s work with organizations like PNWER was also something I was interested in as it allows me to become a more active member of this regional political community by working to strengthen cross-border economic and social opportunities, whilst also helping to promote key information exchange between our two nations. Through this internship I hope to learn and grow in a professional environment, meeting and adapting to new challenges along the way. I hope this is also a stepping stone for me to continue working on projects to strengthen U.S-Canadian partnerships, especially as we increasingly face global problems that – as we have seen — require global solutions.
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Virtual internships with the U.S. Consulate General in Vancouver open for applications in early summer. Click here to learn more.