Student Spotlight: Claire Huitt interns with the U.S. Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo

Jul 05, 2018

Claire Huitt is a rising second year dual degree student pursuing her J.D. from Texas Law and her M.A. in Global Policy Studies from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. This summer Claire is interning with the Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo in the Political section. Claire works with two divisions: political-military affairs and bilateral relations. So far this summer Claire has been able to work on a range of issues alongside amazing, and absolutely inspiring diplomats. From lectures, to briefings, to just writing joggers and daily action reports, Claire’s experience has been extremely immersive, and that is what she enjoys most about it.

“When studying international relations it’s very easy to overlook or forget about the human aspect of the foreign policy making process. However it’s people who are truly affecting change, and it has been extremely humbling to see and participate in that this summer. The books we are assigned in class, the news updates we read every morning, the policy decisions and outcomes we study as students of American foreign policy, start as the emails that my coworkers and supervisors read through every morning. As an undergraduate I wrote my thesis on the trilateral relationship between China-Japan-U.S. with regard to the East and South China Seas; this morning I got to help facilitate communication between two governments with regard to international maritime law. To say this has been a gratifying experience would be a terrible understatement. It has been extremely rewarding, and I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to the Clements Center for making this internship possible.”