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I was born in South Africa in, lived in Washington, DC until
the age of five, and then lived in Kenya until the age of
nine. After this I went to boarding school in the UK until I
finished O-levels, and afterwards moved to France. I then
lived in the south of France (Valbonne, a town near Nice)
where I completed high school. During this time I travelled
frequently to Zambia, Yemen, and Pakistan where members of
my family were stationed due to my father’s work with the
UN. We frequently travelled back and forth to Turkey during
those years as well.
When I was in my last year of high school in Valbonne, I
knew that I wanted to go to an American university, but I
also wanted to stay in France. AUP offered me both
opportunities. In addition, it had an international
environment – something that was already “second nature” to
me. Unlike many who came to AUP for the diversity and
multicultural environment, I came to remain in such an
environment.
How would I describe the AUP classroom experience?
Interactive, dynamic, focused, inspiring, insightful. AUP’s
environment broadened my perspective, enhanced the learning
experience, gave me insight to cultures and backgrounds I
was not aware of before, and convinced me to work for
international causes.
Paris is an inspiring city in itself. I think the
romantic atmosphere, cultural environment, history, museums,
and unique heritage provide a strong groundwork for
intellectual, personal, and social development. Being a
major European capital, there are also plenty of career
opportunities in Paris which I believe is key for broadening
one’s horizons.
My internship experience began after graduation in
Cambodia with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The portfolio manager for Small Arms Reduction and De-mining
had been reassigned and I was given the opportunity to do an
internship. The experience was important in many ways.
Professionally it was a great opportunity to learn about the
UN system in practice – how it works – and more specifically
about the mandate of UNDP and the way it delivers and
develops programs at the country level. Visiting Cambodia
gave me the chance to discover first-hand a new culture, to
learn more about the politics and history of the region, and
was the starting point of my work with the UN. I will never
forget going to the office one morning in traditional
fashion “on the back of a motorbike taxi” and while in
traffic two bikes pulled up on either side of the car next
to me and the riders pulled out their guns and fired into
the vehicle. When I reached the office I realized that I had
just witnessed the assassination of one of the prosecutors
serving in the International Tribunal for Cambodia.
After completing my internship, I completed a Master’s
degree in Human Rights and Democracy while working in
Bosnia, and defended my thesis in Italy at the University of
Bologna. I took up a post as Rule of Law Officer in Sudan (UNDP),
worked as a National MDG/Human Rights Associate with UNDP in
Turkey, as a Field Officer with UNHCR in Afghanistan, and am
now serving as an expert for a security sector reform
program in Turkey (again UNDP). I returned to Turkey after
brutal attacks on a UN “guest-house” in Kabul last year
killed fellow UN colleagues, and took up my new assignment
with the UN here.
My studies at AUP definitely solidified my focus on an
international career and set my direction for further
studies and international service in the area of
development, human rights, and governance/rule of law.
Furthermore, at AUP I developed an international perspective
on world affairs, and also acquired key values and
analytical, communication, and managerial skills that have
been crucial for work with the United Nations and other
organizations.
My experience at The American University of Paris
enhanced my global point of view, and gave me an opportunity
to see the world from a perspective that considers the
diversity within and across nations – while also
appreciating views which are “beyond nations,” so to speak.
This is our shared humanity and planet – and my experience
at AUP helped me to realize this.
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