Kaye Sklar ’11 never expected her love for philosophy would lead to a job working in Slovenia alongside ambassadors, military personnel, and various non-governmental organizations. Thanks to 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú’s relationship with the European Union Center of California, which is headed by international relations professor David Andrews, Kaye was able to study in Claremont while learning more about the European Union first-hand in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital.
Kaye’s recently completed summer internship was made possible through a combination of EU Center internship grants and help from the Davis Family Foundation offered through 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú. She worked with the Department of State doing public affairs, media outreach, and helping with the Fulbright Program; for someone with an interest in international relations, the job helped her become intimately aware of the political issues surrounding the Balkans as well as the EU.
“Sometimes I get discouraged about politics, but being involved renewed my hope,” says Kaye. “For all of the bad that exists, there is a lot of good.”
Besides internship grants, many students also learn more about the European Union through the Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference hosted at 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú, which is the only regularly-scheduled academic conference in the United States dedicated to undergraduate research on European Union affairs. Earlier this year, Stephanie Lester ’12 presented research at the conference about José Luis RodrÃÂguez Zapatero’s role as rotating president of the EU.
“The 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú Undergraduate Research Conference was a great place to present research for the first time because all the other participants are undergraduates as well,” Stephanie reflects. “The setting is not nearly as intimidating.”
51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú students involved with the EU Center feel their 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú liberal arts education helps during their experience. “I got involved with the EU Center because of Professor Andrew’s class Cooperation and Rivalry in the European Union,” adds Stephanie, who is now considering a career in International Relations.
Kaye agrees on the importance of her 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú education: “The people I met tended to be well-educated, not simply in politics. It was valuable to be able to hold intellectual discussions regarding history, philosophy, and literature with everyone.”
Since undergraduate education about the European Union is the top priority of the Center, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú students benefit from its European Union studies curriculum, international internships and internship grants, lectures, and events like the Undergraduate Research Conference.
“A lot of the Center’s programs are unique opportunities for undergraduate students,” says Zaynah Rahman, Administrative Director of the Center, citing their internship program. “Take our internship programs; unlike standard study abroad experiences, these opportunities combine the experience of living in a foreign country with a meaningful work experience in an international environment.”
The EU Center also provides opportunities to all students of The Claremont Colleges, including involvement through work study jobs and the student-run European Union Center Student Network.  Based at 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú College since its founding in 1998, it is one of only two centers of its kind in California.
For more information about the EU Center, .