Breanna Leung is a student who comes from a fashion background, having majored in international trade and marketing, before coming to Marxe for her Master in International Affairs degree. How do the pieces fit? She talks about that and more, including her public affairs role at NYC Health + Hospitals in Kings County, her internship with the U.S. Trade Administration, and more.

You come from a fashion background and majored in international trade and marketing. How has fashion shaped your knowledge of international trade and how do you apply that to your MIA studies?
It’s always a little surprising to people when I tell them I studied fashion in my undergrad. Funny enough, fashion was my introduction to international trade. Coming into the Marxe school to study International Affairs was like channeling my inner Elle Woods in bringing together two separate worlds to better understand the role trade played: in both the business sense and the political perspective. My undergrad taught me the technical aspects of trade, but also opportunities to explore new avenues such as fashion law, global sourcing, and import/export regulations that have shaped my understanding of a country’s culture from the consumer’s view. My MIA studies focus on studying culture and why people/countries react the way they do. When putting together presentations or writing research papers, having the audience in mind ensures that ideas are coming across fluidly and that they remain engaged.

Understanding how connected we are today through trade paints a wider picture of how countries interact with each other. Through this application, when you understand the role each country plays in the supply chain, you understand the kind of relationship at play when being introduced to new concepts in the MIA courses. We don’t usually see it, but international trade affects every aspect of our lives from the goods we consume to the clothes we wear to work. Trade has played a role in shaping the lives of everyday people, and that is why I am so passionate about applying that concept to better understand international affairs and the policies surrounding it.

Can you talk a bit about your previous position as assistant director of public affairs at NYC Health + Hospitals in Kings County?
My boss use to say, “There is never a dull moment in public affairs”. I would walk into my office never knowing what the day would bring, because, at a moment’s notice, I’d be sitting in a meeting with the CEO, standing outside the ambulance bay overseeing a news crew, handling an internal crisis, or finding myself in an active shooter simulation room. My role as the assistant director took on many hats, but I was primarily the Communications Chief’s right-hand woman, or I suppose in this case left hand. My job was to be the eyes and ears of my organization as the role entailed interacting with patients, community stakeholders, elected officials, and hospital staff. I’d often shadow alongside the Communications Chief and was acting chief of staff for my department: whether it may be strategizing the next steps to promoting a specialty, analyzing the root cause analysis of hospital operations, or preparing for public press events. As I grew comfortable in my role, I took on new tasks such as social media management, overseeing the Community Advisory Board, and the liaison for community outreach. All of these roles prepared me to better project manage and meet deadlines for my classes at the Marxe school.

What were your biggest challenges working in communications at a public hospital during the peak of the pandemic?
I remember coming into this role as a new graduate at the height of COVID as a period filled with uncertainty and fear. I went from student to healthcare worker in an instant and had to define my role by taking initiative to grasp the technical language that medical staff was speaking when thrown into meetings with department heads of all specialties. COVID posed some of the biggest challenges working in communications. As messages of social distancing and mask-wearing echoed from every angle, my team had to strategize safe and effective ways to recognize the work of our healthcare staff all the while educating the public on ways to protect themselves from getting sick. A month into my role, covid vaccines were distributed to front-line workers, which essentially led to numerous campaigns to not only encourage eligible people in the community to receive the vaccine but staff as well. The spread of misinformation, caused my team to prioritize projects on combatting them such as featuring subject matter experts, partnering with local communities, and patient testimonials at a time cases were peaking.

As you can imagine information about COVID, safety guidelines, and vaccine data were flooding in constantly. I was regularly tracking these updates and synthesizing them into digestible content to better inform hospital leadership and the public.

What do you do as an intern with the U.S. Trade Administration?
The role of the U.S. Commercial Service branch is to foster economic innovation overseas. We assist small to medium size U.S. businesses to export internationally. My role initially started as a researcher that developed foreign market briefings for senior trade specialists and business partners. The role itself grew more fluid as I had opportunities to attend trade shows, partner meetings, and help facilitate UN Procurement webinars. My role now has expanded to include being a social media liaison for World Trade Week NYC, where the kick-off event is happening right here at Baruch! In addition, I perform special projects with a senior trade specialist to analyze the success of U.S. Free Trade Agreements and co-author research papers to be published at Baruch’s Weissman Center for International Business. One of the perks of being an intern under the U.S. Department of Commerce is accessing industry experts whether it be in national security, trade policy, or even meeting the Secretary of Commerce for a Q&A session! As the intern, you’re open to many educational opportunities. You might just find me with pen and paper in hand sitting in a meeting with Under Secretary Lago while she discusses the current economic climate facing trade today.

Why did you choose the Marxe School to further your knowledge of international trade?
During my undergrad, international trade was taught as technical knowledge for students looking to open their own businesses and make a name for themselves abroad. It was really when the pandemic hit that I realized just how interconnected countries became thanks to international trade and the role it played in shaping international affairs. Recognizing that my background was communications heavy and lacking in federal work experience, it was necessary for me to find a graduate program that offered an inside look into trade policy, affordable and accessible while providing a well-connected network to industry experts in the public sector. When researching the Marxe school, the trade policy concentration was a no-brainer for me. But it was the Washington D.C. Semester that stood out and was one of the primary reasons for enrolling in the program. Not only were trade policy opportunities prevalent in D.C., but I came to find out that housing expenses were covered by the school if selected. In addition to the extensive network of Baruch alumni in the federal sector, I knew this was the place to be for the next 2 years.

Tell us about your experience thus far as an MIA student.
Coming back as an MIA student, I realized how much I’ve truly missed academia and the excitement of meeting such an ambitious and diverse group of people to be my peers, friends, and network. I hold a strong sense of pride in being an MIA student, especially having personally experienced the great extent that staff and professors are willing to go to help you prosper in your career. Working alongside Professor Robbins has been an eye-opening experience as I had found a way to be more involved in the Marxe school as well as keeping her mantra “everyone needs an editor” close at heart. Embarking on this career change has been one of the best investments that I made knowing what I do in the next 2 years will define what I’d be doing for the next decades.