IRIS Interview with Shauna Kiernan

LIU Global
2 min readDec 10, 2018

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Where are you interning (organization name and city/country)?

La Dirección de Cambio Climático in San José, Costa Rica.

Give a short description of what your internship organization does.

La Dirección de Cambio Climático (DCC) is an entity of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), an executive body responsible for environmental matters in Costa Rica. They handle organizing, governing, and formulating public policy on climate change. Additionally, they are collaborating to promote and strengthen the integration of an inter-ministerial agenda pertaining to climate action. The organization is also working and collaborating in various regions within communities throughout Costa Rica promoting environmentally sustainable projects.

What kinds of things do you get to do on a regular basis at your internship?

Mostly arts and communications work.
Tasks have included:
— Helping with email servers to properly manage and assign projects.
— Documenting workshops and sustainable development initiatives throughout Costa Rica.
— Interviewed and documented people involved in initiatives.
— Providing media/content for new website.
— Taking professional portraits of organization members as well as other organizations working in collaboration with the DCC.
— Photo and video editing.

What are some exciting things you’ve learned at your internship so far?

  • Inner workings of governmental climate action within a different cultural context.
    — Observing action from a governmental institution and learning about their efforts to be facilitators in the environmental movement with attempts to be inclusive of all sectors and populations.
    — A different context of development that involves environmentalism (usually vice versa).
    — The possibilities and hope of changing systems for the better in order to ensure the protection of livelihoods and our planet.
    — My capabilities and potential.
    — Professionalism.

How is your IRIS internship impacting your thoughts about what you want to do after college?

Allowing me to understand the bureaucratic processes of action/change and the necessity for civic engagement as well. In a way, it has reinforced the fact that I don’t want to go into governmental work but has been a very important learning experience. I will carry this experience with me when pursuing a more grassroots-focused career.

Why should future students get excited about their IRIS semester?

The immense privilege and opportunities we have are unlike any other. Take the time to lose yourself then find yourself again in an entirely different context. It may be the end of your Global career, but it is just the beginning of your future — weave the fabrics of your future!

What is something really cool you got to do at your internship so far?

Traveled to a different province of Costa Rica and took initiative and leadership in a task that was assigned to me with much independence.
Overall, learning about the environmental initiatives taking place in Costa Rica has been a very enriching and thought-provoking experience as well.

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LIU Global
LIU Global

Written by LIU Global

LIU Global takes students through a series of yearlong cultural immersions in over 10 different countries.

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