Allison Dailey, a 20-year-old global affairs major at George Mason University, spent 10 weeks this past summer in Morocco working as an intern in the Management Section and Department of Homeland Security offices in the United States Consulate in Casablanca.
Dailey, a native of Tampa, Florida, traveled to Morocco to apply the lessons learned in Mason’s global affairs program. She worked 40 hours per week and received valuable hands on experience.
“I assisted in the day-to-day operations of the consulate,” said Dailey. “As a [Department of Homeland Security] intern, I assisted with unclassified deportation reports and intelligence reports. In both capacities, I worked with Moroccans and Americans and with Foreign Service Officers as well as members of the civil service.”
Dailey said the experience helped her to gain valuable contacts within her field. “The people I worked with were inspiring, but meeting all of these people was more than socializing and working. It also helped me with networking. Just this past week I met up with two people I worked with at the consulate.”
The internship abroad was more than just work, Dailey added.
“My best memories of Morocco include traveling the country, just hanging out with the other interns on Friday night at the best dance clubs, and sipping espresso on Sunday mornings,” said Dailey. “I believe that Morocco is the world's secret: pristine beaches with constant sunshine, excellent food, hospitable people, and rich culture and history.”
Dailey, who has chosen a concentration in Middle Mast and North Africa to her BA in global affairs, said her internship provided her with a first-hand experience of “what it would be like to join the Foreign Service.” She added, “I had the opportunity to complement my Middle East and North Africa concentration with the actual experience of living in the region. Ten weeks is a long time to live in a foreign country on your own. I got to experience a beautiful and friendly culture that put my own culture into a different perspective.”
Dailey kept a blog that chronicled her travels around Morocco.
December 10, 2009