United Nations externship provides unique experience for Coe student
Hayley Luna ’19 with Coe alumnus
and trustee Alan M. Anderson at
the U.N. in New York City
For the second year in a row, a Coe College student was granted access to observe negotiations at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) at the U.N. headquarters in New York City.
Coe College senior and political science major Hayley Luna ’19 was selected to attend the 69th session of Working Group II (Dispute Settlement) with Coe alumnus and trustee Alan M. Anderson. For the past four years, Anderson has served as a representative for the Forum for International Conciliation and Arbitration (FICA).
After his second year attending UNCITRAL Working Group II sessions, Anderson proposed that FICA allocate one of its representative appointments to a university student as a unique learning opportunity. Following FICA’s approval of his request, Anderson proposed the idea of a student externship at the U.N. to Coe Provost and Dean of the Faculty Paula O’Loughlin.
Luna was selected for this externship through an application process facilitated by Coe’s Center for Creativity and Careers (C3). C3 routinely partners with alumni who are passionate about Coe and eager to connect with students, resulting in unique internship and externship opportunities. In fact, Coe College is ranked 15th in the nation among The Princeton Review’s Top 25 Best Schools for Internships.
“The experience to attend the U.N. for this Working Group, in particular, was exceptionally unique for someone my age. I was the youngest person in the room, the only person who hadn’t graduated from college or finished my graduate degree,” Luna said. “I was able to discuss topics with people who are experts around the world. This was extremely unique, and they were more than happy to share their experiences about how they got where they are.”
“Hayley was able to see diplomacy from the inside,” said Anderson. “She now has first-hand experience with the nuances and very incremental way diplomacy is done.”
Because of this experience, Luna has a clearer vision of what she would like to do in the future. “The fact that a Coe alumnus could help me realize what the potential is out there for lawyers in a global setting was really a priceless opportunity. I think it was a great way to not only connect with someone who has been in my shoes, but it also made me realize I can do the exact same thing.”
Luna believes every Coe student should take advantage of an externship, internship or study-abroad opportunity. “Everything the faculty and staff are preparing us for is out there now. This externship proved to me that they have given me the skills and the background to be very successful,” Luna said.
Coe College offers superb academics and exciting co-curricular activities in a thriving urban setting that promotes student growth and success. Established in 1851, Coe has a national reputation for academic excellence enhanced by a student-centered, highly supportive campus environment. Coe’s vibrant Cedar Rapids location provides an abundance of internships for students and career opportunities for graduates.