Connor murray

BA Political Science + German Studies, 2016

Spring Semester 2015 in Vienna

My road to Vienna in the spring semester of 2015 differed from that of many Illinois students. I was a junior and, studying Political Science and German with a focus on international relations and diplomacy, Vienna seemed like a no-brainer. However, I also was returning to the city where I was born and raised.

My decision to spend a semester in Vienna was a bit unusual, too, because it was linked to a semester-long U.S. Department of State internship at the Mission to International Organizations in Vienna. While working on real-life diplomacy issues, such as nuclear nonproliferation and arms control, the IiVP provided a nurturing environment for study and dialogue, as well as events that enabled me to learn more about a city I thought I knew inside and out.

Since graduating from Illinois, my semester abroad in Vienna has fueled my passion for positively affecting U.S. foreign policy. I spent a year working for Robin Kelly (D-Ill), a U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee member, and plan to continue my studies in the international sphere. Currently, I am deepening my understanding of the intersection between domestic and international policy, advocating for various transportation, energy, and public sector clients with the federal government as Senior Associate for Elevate Government Affairs. I would say to prospective IiVP students that Vienna has a way of showing you the world without taking you beyond its city limits.

To quote Rudolf Sieczynski, “Wien, Wien, nur du allein sollst stets die Stadt meiner Träume sein!“