Student Spotlight: Graduate Student Niki Rey interns at US Embassy in Moscow

Jul 05, 2017

This summer, the Center funded seven students: four graduate students and three undergraduate students. Here’s Nikidrea Rey’s story:

Niki is an incoming masters student in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, currently interning at the U.S. Department of State Embassy in Moscow. Prior to her studies, Niki served in the U.S. Army, including a tour in Afghanistan. She writes “I deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with a unique mission that changed my perspective on U.S. foreign relations… I hope to gain insight in Moscow, as the hub of my regional focus, so that I can apply my operational skills of the past and develop new professional skills.” 

So far, during her time in Moscow, she’s been put to work “in the Executive Office preparing daily briefing books for Ambassador Teft and Deputy Chief of Mission Tracy on a range of domestic and regional concerns in policy, economics, and defense.” She also “drafts the Economic Section’s daily report on significant trends and process visas in the Consular Section.”

Overall, Niki writes: “I thoroughly enjoy the fluidity of my position because I get to experience the full operations of the embassy and meet lots of professionals offering unique experiences and insight. My greatest challenge is learning three new roles along with working to grasp the required language to complete my job.”