By Carol Wu
At NYU DC, there are two kinds of students – freshmen and interns (a.k.a the upperclassmen) – and like many of the “interns”, sophomore Cynthia Orizaba seems to eat, sleep, and live in her internship attire.
When you look at all of Cynthia’s accomplishments, it only seems fitting that her motto is what Walt Disney once said: “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”
As an intern at Trade and NAFTA at the Embassy of Mexico, Orizaba is constantly on the go, running from the NYU DC building to her office at the embassy. To top it off, she juggles that internship with another one, as content manager of DC Dialogues. With these two internships, she still manages to find time to fulfill her responsibilities as Vice President of Hall Congress. So, what’s the secret to her success? Starbucks’s Mango Dragonfruit Refresher beverage. Its 70mg of caffeine hits her with just the right amount to keep her up on her toes.
It wasn’t an out of the blue decision for Orizaba to intern at the Embassy of Mexico. Orizaba’s parents are Mexican with indigenous heritage on her mother’s side. Her exposure to the language and culture of Mexico provides her with the experience and knowledge a qualified intern at the embassy would need, and so far, it has helped her as she provides the embassy with support through her proficiency in translating.
The Embassy of Mexico is like a family, where everyone greets one another regardless of what department they are from. This comforting and welcoming environment has allowed Orizaba to thoroughly enjoy her time there, through which she has gained a fresh perspective and new expertise in trade. In the United States, trade between Mexico and the US is often only perceived in the perspective of the latter, but through her internship, Orizaba learned to observe trade through Mexico’s perspective. Orizaba has also had the opportunity to attend events across Washington, DC, giving her exposure to the complexity of trade and its various components.
Orizaba’s interests are just as diverse as her commitments. As a skilled musician, Orizaba can play the violin, viola, and cello and is working towards learning to play the piano. She is also an avid reader with a preference for fiction books, and her latest read is Grant by Ron Chernow.
Her stay at Washington, DC has been made a pleasant experience by the abundance of resources and free events that are offered, along with the the prime location of the NYU DC building in relation to DC’s prominent attractions.
Orizaba will be studying in New York for her spring semester and in Madrid for her junior year.
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