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Madeline England, Second year Human Right Concentrator
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Madeline England is a second-year SIPA student pursuing an MIA degree with a concentration in human rights. Her coursework includes International Law, Transitional Justice, Security Council and Peacekeeping in Africa, and Conflict Resolution. She spent the summer interning with Home for Human Rights, a local NGO in Colombo, Sri Lanka. There she researched human rights abuse, liaised with UN human rights treaty bodies, and produced a newsletter raising international awareness of torture in Sri Lanka.
Prior to SIPA, Madeline worked as a legal assistant for a London law firm from 2002 to 2003 and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mauritania from 2004 to 2006. After obtaining her MIA degree, Madeline plans to continue advocating human rights within conflict zones.
How did you find the required career services class?
"Honestly, I was a little apprehensive of the Professional Development course at first; I was expecting a standard resume review and lessons on preparing for interviews. The class did that but also offered much more. The class requires that we do an informational interview, which was good practical experience and introduced me to the SIPA alumni network. My instructor emphasized that the course is an opportunity to compare professional experiences and learn from each other. Since several of my classmates had worked in Human Resources or in the field of humanitarian relief, I picked up a lot of great tips."
How did you obtain your summer internship?
"Home for Human Rights is a partner organization of the Advocacy Project (AP), an NGO based in Washington, D.C. The AP recruits graduate students to intern with its 25 partner organizations around the globe. This benefits both NGOs, and it is good field experience for a graduate student -- especially since the AP did all of the work finding motivated, active local NGOs. The AP posted available internships on SIPATRAK, the online database maintained by Career Services. I e-mailed my resume and cover letter to the AP, had a phone interview with the Director, and secured funding through SIPA and the AP. A month later, I was on a plane to Colombo."
What drew you to SIPA?
"SIPA is one of the few schools to offer a Human Rights program, which was very important to me. The location was obviously a factor; now that I am here, I know that the opportunities of being in New York cannot be overstated. Every day there is a head of state, UN Ambassador, or other dignitary visiting. The internship opportunities during the semester are huge -- the UN, UNICEF, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty, Watchlist, and dozens of other NGOs. I also appreciate that there are so many international students and so many people have worked abroad in some capacity; everyone brings their experience to the table."
What has been the most challenging part of your time at SIPA?
"SIPA's orientation began one week after I returned from living in a small West African village for two years. SIPA seemed really intense and hectic in comparison, and it took me awhile to get over culture shock and stop feeling overwhelmed. Even now, with events to attend every day and the workload, time management is an issue. But that's graduate school."