A Pirate Postcard From: Swimmer Andrea Shuba
6/8/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
WASHINGTON D.C. - As the summer months continue, Seton Hall student-athletes continue to make an impact both on the field and in the community. Pirate Postcards gives Seton Hall fans a unique look into how SHU student-athletes spend their "off" months.
This week, SHUPirates.com received a domestic postcard and accompanying letter from women's swimming & diving team member Andrea Shuba (Pittsburgh, Pa.).
In three years in the pool for the Pirates, Shuba has established herself as a standout. Her name is already littered throughout the SHU record book as the Pittsburgh native currently holds five school records.
She is one of five female swimmers in program history who own multiple individual records, posting the top times in both the 100 and 200-yard backstroke events. Shuba has also been a part of three record setting relay efforts, swimming as a part of the fastest 800-yard freestyle, 200-yard medley and 400-yard medley teams ever at Seton Hall.
A model of consistency, Shuba has finished in the top-three in over half the races she has entered and has posted at least five wins in each of her three seasons as a Pirate, finishing her junior campaign with a total of 18 victories to her credit.
She has also excelled in the classroom, twice being named a BIG EAST Academic All-Star with this year's selections yet to be announced. A Diplomacy & International Relations major, Shuba has landed an internship with the International Law Institute (ILI) in Washington D.C. for summer 2012.
With her internship underway, Shuba checked in with SHUPirates.com to detail her experience so far.
Fellow Pirates,
Hello from Washington D.C.!
Summer has begun and I have already started my internship at the International Law Institute, which has taken me to our nation's capital.
Over my past three years at Seton Hall my interest in international development and law has increased from exposure in several of my classes. I found many developing countries encounter issues because they are deficient in processes such as drafting of laws and the designing of their economic and government policies.
At this time in my academic career, I eventually want to be involved in public policy development in emerging economies. This can involve legal, economic, and social elements.
I want to pursue this area of expertise because I am intrigued by why certain efforts and policies effectively promote good and efficient governance through the rule of law and why some end up failing.
During the first week of my internship there was a lot of training, which wasn't very surprising because I have to learn the technical aspects of the organization in order to move forward. One of the most important things I have learned so far is how to navigate through their databases containing over 40,000 contacts!
I have also already been exposed to the structure of their materials for the seminars they conduct. Currently, they are running a seminar on Contract Administration. I've been able to sit in a few classes over the first week and I feel as if the seminar offers information that is a great supplement to what you learn in a college class. I will have the opportunity to sit in some other classes as well and I am especially looking forward to the seminar on Legislative Drafting. I feel it will allow me to expand my knowledge in international law and learn some of the specifics regarding how laws are drafted.
In the office, I have begun to work directly with my advisor, Gerhard, in a marketing process called Open Internet Marketing. I am focusing in finding contacts in emerging and middle income countries in South East Asia. These contacts can be other organizations, ministries, corporations, or people, as long as they work within the general area of capital markets. There are two other forms of marketing database building they use, Past Participants and a program called DEVEX, but I like my focus the most because it requires more creativity in finding contacts.
Initially, I was shocked at how small the main staff of the organization is. I've worked with the three Program Administrators very closely and talked with the Executive Director on a personal level. When asked if expansion was on the horizon, Executive Director Kim Phan responded that they want to ensure that their work meets the highest standards, and a small organization ensures that it happens.
I was also shocked at the outreach and scope that a smaller organization like the ILI has. In the first seminar they were running when I arrived, about half of the participants were from Kenya, along with others from Uganda, Ghana, Armenia, and Papua New Guinea.
The ILI also has an extensive teaching staff with over 400 members. These people are mostly lawyers at well-known firms, with some other distinguished members who work at the World Bank, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Export-Import Bank, the U. S. Federal Reserve, and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.
It is interesting that these people keep coming back to volunteer their time to teach these seminars because they truly believe in in ILI's mission. I think the ILI's small, yet focused approach to educating people from developing and emerging economies has proven to be an effective one and I am excited to be a part of it.
Overall, from my experience as an intern at an independent, non-profit organization I hope to expand my knowledge in what steps can be taken to improve the performance of government agencies and public accountability in the government. I also hope to gain professional experience from working with experts within the field and insight into how a research and educational institution like the International Law Institute functions on a daily basis.
Well, that's all for now, see you soon!
Go Pirates!
Andrea
Want more info on what the Pirates are up to this summer? Don't forget to check back soon for another Pirate Postcard!
Past Postcards:
Men's Soccer Goalkeeper Kevin Bonder - June 1
