Hello Ireland!

By Hillary Sara U

UW Bothell student interns at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin

Brendan Mulcahy is currently a senior in the Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences Program at UW Bothell, working on his Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies with a minor in policy studies. Brendan chose UW Bothell for many reasons, his top one being the location. Says Brendan, "I wanted to be close to home, and I wanted to be in a classroom with a professor who actually knew me."

Location continues to be one of the top issues in Brendan’s studies as he recently spent a quarter interning at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, Ireland in the Political Economic section. His main job was to relay to Washington, D.C. information on what was happening in Ireland’s economy and political arenas. To accomplish this, Brendan met weekly with various individuals in business and government industries around Dublin. Knowing this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, he enjoyed being in Ireland and meeting Europe’s elite.

Brendan’s interest in politics has always been strong, but it wasn’t until he took Professor Nitta’s Political Institutions and Processes class at UW Bothell that he began to really grow his interest in the inner workings of government. In addition, Brendan was highly inspired by lessons from Professor Jones and Professor Danby. The knowledge and support of these professors helped Brendan "tremendously in conversations with various ministers and leaders in the Dublin community."

He believes that this experience has also helped to focus his interests for life after college. "This internship will greatly increase my chances of gaining federal employment after UW Bothell, as having any federal service experience can go a long way for someone just starting their career."

When asked what Brendan misses most about Ireland, he says, "One of the things I loved most about Ireland is how friendly everyone is, even to a certain extent, complete strangers." Brendan articulates that being away has changed his view on what is important to him and what is not. He realized that while he was away from home and knew no one, he was able to have a very unique and rewarding experience that allowed him to truly find himself.

Brendan’s new focus has led him to an appointment as a student ambassador for UW's "Making the Difference" campaign. This campaign is part of a nationwide effort to promote federal employment as a choice after graduation.

Brendan looks forward to graduating in the spring and hopes to find employment within the federal government, more specifically in the U.S. Departments of State or Defense. He is hoping that once he gains employment, he will be eligible for a scholarship from a government agency that will then allow him to attend the National Defense Intelligence College, where he would like to work on a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence.