“I just completed my first year as an international studies major at Ohio State, and I was ready to take what I had learned within the classroom into the real world through experiential learning. By gaining firsthand experience in the field I want to pursue as a career, I was able to build connections, perspective and international competence,” said Catherine Baron on the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) - Advanced Training Program.
The group of 26 Ohio State students receive trainings, conduct simulations and participate in other hands-on opportunities from the United Nations to understand and reflect upon key global challenges.
“This experience gave me lots of perspective on how the greater international system operates within Geneva and different career opportunities that are possible in the future. We toured organizations like the World Health Organization, the Red Cross, and the International Labor Organization, which showed us how different parts of the UN operate. It additionally gave us hands-on educational opportunities like Model UN activities and a Final Sustainable Development Goal Project that allowed us to put what we were learning into practice,” said Baron.
Along with gaining practical experience that they can use in the workplace and in their academic careers, the soft skills that the group gained from living in another country and experiencing a new culture can be used in all parts of their lives.
“I have learned that I am capable of being adaptable and the importance of immersing myself in new surroundings. This experience gave me new confidence for international exploration and reaffirmed the fact that I can do things that are outside my comfort zone,” Baron shared.
Some of Baron’s favorite moments came outside of the UN campus, where she and the rest of the group got to explore some of the incredible sites and landmarks of Geneva and the surrounding cities.
“I think the different activities we did outside the UN were very memorable, like our tour of the CERN particle accelerator, a visit to the Olympic museum and a day trip to Montreux, Switzerland. This allowed us to make close connections to fellow Ohio State students who were on the trip that will carry over to years to come back within the states.”