Sandra La Rosa

Country of Origin: Italy

Role at UNGSC: Intern, Liaison Unit

Working at the UN was my dream, ever since I was a young girl. I grew up in Brindisi and knew about #UNGSC through a family friend who worked there. I would often overhear him speaking in English with his colleagues. It was inspiring to get a glimpse of his world and to think that I, too, could one day contribute to an international organization.

For many years I worked in an accounting firm and simultaneously applied for jobs at UNGSC. After several unsuccessful applications, I gave up and chose, instead, to pursue a master’s degree in economics and management. However, just as I was about to receive my degree, I learned that the University of Salento was starting a new master’s programme in international cooperation. It was unusual to begin a second master’s degree, one month before completing my first, however, I was encouraged to apply, and it proved worthwhile.?

Through a partnership between the University of Salento and UNGSC, students can participate in programmes at the UNGSC Base, on special occasions. I had the opportunity to visit on the International Day of #UN #Peacekeepers. The connections I made on that day paved the way for an internship with UNGSC’s Liaison Unit, focused on administrative support.

The #internship was extremely fulfilling. While many people fail to see the connection between “paperwork” and the critical hands-on activities of the UN, at UNGSC, all work ultimately supports those who are in the field. Moreover, I was learning constantly, even over coffee in the morning, just by observing the way people communicated, their politeness, spirit of collaboration, and diverse competencies.

It was an incredible experience, which strengthened me in so many ways, from expanding my skills and cultural sensitivity, to helping me overcome my fear of presenting in English…. I used to be conscious of my accent, but, at the UN, I met people from all over the world speaking English with their own accents, be they Pakistani, French, Italian, etc. and it was beautiful; I understood that we don’t all have to sound alike.

The UN is a world unto itself. It’s a truly dynamic environment where every action and decision, no matter how small, is somehow related to Member States, to what they want to achieve and what’s happening in the world.