American Interns 2007
American Intern Eric O'Leary at U.S. Consulate General Leipzig
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| Eric O’Leary |
Eric O’Leary was born and raised in Butte, Montana. He joined the Army after high school and was eventually stationed in Heidelberg, Germany in 2001, and has been living there ever since with his wife and son. After getting out of the Army in 2005, he studied at University of Maryland University College-Europe and received his B.S. in Political Science in 2007, as well as an A.A. in German Studies. Eric’s future plans include continuing on with his German degree and attending graduate school next fall. He also plans to take the Foreign Service Officer Test in the near future and possibly make a career in the Foreign Service. His interests include foreign and political affairs, but he is also very interested in the intercultural aspect of the internship.
American Summer Intern Amanda Paustian at U.S. Consulate General Leipzig
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| Amanda Paustian |
Amanda Paustian is from a small town in southern Illinois and has been lately referred to as “the world-traveler” by her friends and family. Perhaps a more accurate description would be to call her a Germanophile; in addition to studying German for more than eight years and majoring in the subject, Amanda will have spent almost eleven months living in Germany by the end of her time in Leipzig. She participated in an eight-month study abroad program in Schwäbisch Hall and Tübingen in 2006-2007, where she dramatically improved her language skills, joined the university’s Model United Nations delegation and represented France on the Security Council, and learned to love Swabia. Amanda will return to the U.S. in September to begin her last year of undergraduate studies at Northwestern University, where she is majoring in political science and German. She will commence work on her senior honors thesis, a paper exploring the current state of German national feeling, and start learning French, which she fears will not be nearly as much fun as German.
American Summer Intern Janette LeHoux at U.S. Consulate General Leipzig
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| Janette LeHoux |
Janette LeHoux is midway through her Master’s of Public Policy at Duke University. Her main policy interests are regional economic development, environmentally sustainable business practices, and EU policy. She considers herself lucky to be here in Leipzig not only to have the opportunity to learn more about these issues, but also to experience the Foreign Service life. Before coming to Duke, she spent two years in the Peace Corps in Albania, where she worked in a support center for non-profit organizations, projects ranging from ecotourism development to anti-corruption activities in schools. Janette has lived in Germany as an intern in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Land Parliament in Schwerin and as a student in Berlin, once through an exchange program and again as an independent student. She received her B.A. in international relations from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. While she has lived in different places, Janette considers Salt Lake City home, where you can find her either climbing up or skiing down Utah’s famous mountains. She also enjoys swimming, biking, and watching Champions’ League matches whenever she can catch them.
American Intern Shanon Self at U.S. Consulate General Leipzig
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| Shanon Self |
Shanon Self, originally from Southern California, will receive her BA in International Business and International Studies from University of Washington in Seattle, WA August 2007. After her first experience living abroad in London, England as a study abroad student, she developed a strong interest in cultural exchanges, which has encouraged her to travel more extensively to gain further cultural experiences. She hopes to put her acquired knowledge from her studies and travel as well as her experience working at the U.S. Consulate and living in Leipzig to use as a Public Affairs Officer with the State Department.
