Career Services Spotlight – Rabia Javed, MPA ’21, UNFPA

Over the summer I interned with the United Nation Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office in Turkey through the UNA-NY Summer Scholars program. I was the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) intern and had the opportunity to work on several important tasks leading up to the Nairobi Summit in November, a high-level meeting which will mark 25 years of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).

Some of the projects I worked on included compiling national commitments on cervical cancer, writing a case study on the integration of SRH into the healthcare systems in countries of the region, and organizing events and meetings where I had the opportunity to network with the organization’s international SRH partners. I also revised and improved the content of SRH topics on the website and prepared documents on regional SRH resources. The internship allowed me to explore a key area at the intersection of health, human rights, and sustainability. I gained first-hand knowledge of the workings of an international organization and learned how my career interests fit within an organization like the UN.

I started my MPA at the Marxe School this year after graduating with a degree in Molecular Biology. I have since been actively looking for internships to allow myself to explore career opportunities at the nexus of science, policy, and human rights. I learned about this internship through a weekly email from Marxe Career Services. Coming straight from a STEM background I was initially hesitant to apply. I contacted Marny at career services, she reviewed my resume and helped me tailor it to the position. A few days later I interviewed at the UNA-NY followed by a Skype interview with my prospective supervisors at the UNFPA and finally secured the position. One thing in particular that motivated me to apply for this internship was that it involved travel and was open to international students.

If you are someone looking for an internship, I would recommend being open and willing to explore diverse opportunities. Take advantage of Marxe Career Services and other opportunities available at the school.