My name is Jeanne Gonelle and I’m an upcoming U3 student pursuing a joint honors degree in Political Science and World Islamic
I wanted to intern with Quebec’s government office in New York to learn more about Quebec’s objectives abroad, American politics, and the inner workings of a diplomatic apparatus. Indeed, Quebec’s government office in New York (or la Délégation Générale du Québec à New York) is Quebec’s primary representation in the United States, although it serves mainly the Mid-Atlantic region. The Office promotes the interests of Quebec in the following sectors: business, investment, government institutions, education, culture and public affairs.
As an Intern in the Communication and Government Affairs Department, my primary responsibilities involved developing both internal and external communications related to American political developments that were significant to the government, as well as Quebec’s interests and impacts in the U.S. For instance, every month, I compiled and summarized key news related to elections in the Mid-Atlantic region that might be of interest to Quebec. Additionally, I also had a variety of tasks related to the specific events organized by the office. One such task was preparing materials for an upcoming event during New York Climate Week in September, which will focus on the transformation of the labor market due to climate change and emerging
Highlights of my internship include organizing Quebec’s National Day celebration, attending side events at the High-Level Political Forum of the ECOSOC at the United Nations headquarters, and co-authoring a diplomatic report with my colleague Pascal on Maryland’s climate action plan and its relevance to the Quebec government. One challenge I faced was prioritizing tasks effectively. Setting personal deadlines helped me ensure that everything was completed on time. Overall, this internship solidified my interest in pursuing diplomatic relations related to North America.
