International Student Lands an
Internship at the United Nations

Summer 2008 

Rey Ty interviewed Mr. Francis Enrique regarding his internship experience at the United Nations this summer. Francis Enrique is an MBA Student at Northern Illinois University. Below is the transcript of the interview. I hope readers will be inspired by Francis’ wealth of experience at the United Nations.

Rey Ty: How did you learn about the internship possibility at the UN? 

Francis Enrique: I have always dreamed of working for the UN since I was a small child. And this dream was first realized when I became a project officer in ECOP (Employers Confederation of the Philippines) for country-wide implementation of programs for the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and ILO (International Labor Organization). That was the last job I had prior to coming to NIU for my MBA studies. Since then, I have been on the look out for possible UN opportunities. I was able to chance upon the UN jobs website called UN Galaxy and that’s how I found out about the internship. I went on to follow my dream I guess and luck was just on my side.

 

Rey Ty: What is the specific agency within the UN where you interned? 

Francis Enrique: I worked as an intern for the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF). It was an idea proposed by President Bush in 2004 and was established in 2005 within the UN Office for Partnerships. It primarily functions to support worldwide democratization projects implemented by NGOs as well as governmental and multilateral entities. 

Rey Ty: Why did you pick that agency? 

Francis Enrique: I never really got the chance to pick an agency/department for my internship assignment. From what I learned, the office of the UN internship program floated around the short-listed candidates to the different UN departments. The departments were the ones that chose the best-fit candidate from the pool of applications sent to them. So it was Mr. Roland Rich (UNDEF Executive Head) who picked me after all.

Rey Ty: What are the objectives of the agency? 

Francis Enrique: UNDEF’s primary purpose is to promote democracy throughout the world by providing assistance to projects that consolidate and strengthen democratic institutions and facilitate democratic governance. The fund complements UN efforts to advocate broader areas of security for the people, socio-economic development and human rights protection. 

Rey Ty: What were your expectations of your internship with the UN? 

Francis Enrique: Seriously, I expected that I will be given the least amount of responsibility since I was working for the UN on a short-term internship employment only. But I was surprised to have been assigned with significant tasks. The tasks far exceeded my expectations. Everything was all good.

 

Rey Ty: What were your responsibilities? 

Francis Enrique: I worked on a research about democracy promotions in authoritarian and semi-authoritarian governments and highlighted the role of NGOs in achieving democracy throughout the world. I also did project document briefs for mid-term/final narrative reports of UNDEF programs and wrote news articles for the UNDEF website. 

Rey Ty: Share your most memorable moments at the UN. 

Francis Enrique: One very special occasion for me at the UN was attending the 110^th anniversary of the Philippine Independence. I was able to meet Ambassador Hilario Davide Jr, Consul General Cecilia Rebong and a lot of other foreign diplomats. I also went to the big Philippine parade at Madison Avenue where I ate Filipino food, watched the next big star Charice Pempengco in a cultural show and celebrated a day of national pride with international intern friends. (Editor’s note: Ambassador Davide is the brother of Dr. Lina Davide Ong, Director of NIU’s International Training Office.)

 

Rey Ty: What were your major accomplishments? 

Francis Enrique: Being selected for the internship program was already an accomplishment. I was fortunate enough to be one of about only 250 interns who were picked out of a total 4,500 applicants worldwide. Having many wonderful people believing in me was another major accomplishment. I thought at first that it would be impossible for me to do this unpaid internship in the New York headquarters of the UN. But with God’s grace and with the generous support of all those who helped me, my dream of working for the UN came true. So a million thanks go out to my family back home, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Barsema, Mr. and Mrs. Andy Patti, Mr. and Mrs. Gaylen Larson, Dr. and Mrs. Edmundo Relucio, Dean Denise Schoenbachler, Ms. Mona Salmon, the International Student and Faculty Office and the International Training Office, Mr. and Mrs. Reynaldo Ong and the whole family, Prof. Rhodalyne Crail, Ms. Veronica Leighton and the Via Times, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Mr. Rey Ty, Ms. Thessa Pua, Ms. Sherry Noblejas, Mr. and Mrs. Shaun Tajon, Mr. and Mrs. John Malec, Mr. Eduard Breuer and to all my friends. I learned from the whole experience, worked with people who share the same passion to make a difference in this world and gained a lot of new friends.  

Rey Ty: Share with us some of your experiences outside the UN. 

Francis Enrique: Outside work, it was a pleasure exploring the city of New York with fellow interns. I went out to watch free Shakespeare plays at the park, marveled at the museums and the many wonderful NY landmarks and got to see a Broadway musical. But for me, just to spend time with new intern friends from different parts of the world is already a journey in itself. Each day with them is so enriching and for that I could not ask for more. So far, this is the best summer in my life. 

Rey Ty: If you were to mentor someone planning to intern at the UN, what wise words will you share to them? 

Francis Enrique: To those interested in working as an intern for the UN, I say go for it! Even if this one is an unpaid internship, it is absolutely worth it especially knowing that you will be doing a meaningful job that can create little steps to solve some of the world’s problems. Just listen to your heart and follow your dream! 

Rey Ty: Thank you, Francis, for sharing with all the readers your memorable experiences as an intern at the United Nations this summer. I hope many more people will follow your footsteps and realize their dream internship such as yours.

 July 2008