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Political science, PR student Lauren Thortsen covers international politics through study abroad

From the NATO headquarters to the North Carolina Senate floor, political science and public relations junior Lauren Thortsen took her Auburn University education abroad and away to build a resume in governmental relations.

Her summer started on Senior Lecturer Matthew Clary's study abroad program to Brussels, Belgium, where students learned about European international relations amid the elections and spoke to high-level delegates about international politics.

"I've always been kind of a go-getter, and so being able to have these opportunities still as a student is kind of unbelievable," Thortsen said. "I mean, it's not every day that you can say that you were just able to walk in the NATO headquarters. But I think that just goes to show how Auburn pours into its students and gives each students amazing opportunities in order to fuel their passions and to get experiences that you would not be able to get anywhere else."

Study abroad programs are designed to fully immerse students in other cultures. During the week, students stayed with host families in Brussels. On weekends, the group took excursions to Paris, Amsterdam and Greece.

Thortsen and her classmates also interned with Brussels law firm Freshfields Bruckhause Deringer. They joined the EU Public Affairs and Regulatory Team to research and write about the U.S. presidential election, U.S.-European international relations and European Union regulations.

"My skills and knowledge have definitely been sharpened through this summer in particular," Thortsen said. "It introduced me to the whole concept of international law, which is something that I'm interested in, and so I could definitely see myself using the skills that I've learned this summer to be an international lawyer."

Only a week after returning home from Brussels, Thortsen was back on the road to intern at the United States Senate in Charlotte, North Carolina.

At Sen. Thom Tillis' office, Thortsen focused on local policy initiatives and helped connect constituents to government agencies.

Thortsen said while her international internship focused on policy at the highest level, the Senate internship focused on the people behind the policies.

"Being on the front lines of constituent advocacy in the Senate office was something that I didn't even know was a job that people could have until I was able to do it myself," Thortsen said. "Learning that you can get your state senators, your state representatives to advocate for you in a lot of ways in which constituents might need help was definitely impactful."

To be successful in her internships, Thortsen had to communicate the knowledge she's learned in political science and legal classes using the writing and critical thinking skills from her public relations courses.

Thortsen said that skill set, and the quality of Auburn professors who helped her along the way, made it an unforgettable summer. She encourages other students to pursue study abroad as soon as they can.

"If you ever get the opportunity to study abroad, do it," Thortsen said. "For students who are kind of on the fence and don't know if they should, just do it because only good things and good experiences are going to come out of it. You're going to learn so much about the world and different cultures and be able to obviously further your degree in a lot of areas that you didn't think you could."

Learn more about study abroad programs in the College of Liberal Arts.

Tags: Political Science Communication and Journalism Students International Initiatives