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History from the Front Lines Political science major and Ford institute member Christina Borrelli is currently studying European politics via Educational Programs Abroad in Berlin, Germany. I'm working in the Bundestag (or the German parliament), which has been very exciting as of late given the grand coalition and the early election. I feel like I get to see history in action from the front lines. What's caught my attention, as a possible future course of study, is foreign policy -- specifically, dealing with creating democracy in the Middle East, and how it could actually work. I've been going to many conferences and hearing many people speak about the subject: representatives from Iran, the US, Palestine, and Egypt (just to name a few!). It's so interesting to get the perspective of people in the governments of those nations, and listening to the Germans' opinion during our coffee breaks.
During the first week of my internship, I went with my advisor to a reception at the Berlin Ritz Carlton for the Saudi Arabian embassy, and I met ambassadors from Jordan, Egypt, Columbia, Pakistan and South Africa, along with several other military generals and other important people. Quite intimidating, but awesome; the South African ambassador even wanted his picture taken with me! Another night, since my representative (soon to be former representative) was such a strong player in the relations between Germany and Pakistan, I was invited to a dinner banquet at the residence of the Pakistani ambassador. And people there actually wanted to talk to me, to get my opinion as a U.S. citizen regarding various issues. It was so cool to be found interesting by other governmental representatives from all over the world! (And it was quite a private dinner of only 20 or so). Then this week on my way to listen to a lecture at the American Academy here in Berlin, my advisor stopped to talk to a lady in the train station. She looked really familiar, although I could not place her. Then my advisor says (in German, of course): "Christina, I would like you to meet former Chancellor Gerhard Shröder's wife and two daughters!" Frau Shroder is actually from New York; I got to talk to her and the two daughters, which was amazing! Completely random, in a train station, who would've thought?? This is truly a city of culture, and I'm learning so much here on an international level. And with all the conferences I'm attending and people I'm meeting (not to mention the change in governments I get to witness), I'm doing things some people don't have the opportunity to accomplish in an entire lifetime! When it comes down to it, all I can say is "Wow..." and there's so much to do, I don't know if I'll be able to do it all!
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Albion College ◦ Albion, Michigan
◦ 517/629-1000
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