Meet Kat Bloomfield! She is majoring in Political Science-International Relations and minoring in French. She attended the Women in the Global Policy PLEN conference to further develop her career interest in International Criminal Law.
Describe yourself and why you wanted to attend the PLEN Conference.
I am a rising junior at Tulane University and I recently changed majors from Anthropology to Political Science-International Relations. I felt that I personally would be able to make a bigger difference in the policy or legal sphere of international and cultural affairs. However, after making this switch I was overwhelmed by how much ‘international relations’ actually encompassed. I am a compassionate and determined student with a drive to make international communication and justice more effective in our increasing globalizing world. I wanted to attend the Women in Global Policy Conference because I knew it would give me inspiration and practical guidelines for how to follow my dreams.
What were your favorite parts of the conference?
I really enjoyed hearing from women from a variety of different areas in international relations. It was fascinating to see that they were all working towards similar goals but from different angles. I also really appreciated the combination of inspirational talks mingled with tangible, practical advice that I can capitalize on now.
Who was your favorite speaker?
Hearing from the Ambassador of El Salvador was one of the most inspiring experiences I’ve ever had the honor to have. Not only is her career amazing, she herself is so full of vitality, optimism, and wisdom. She was so dignified but hilarious at the same time and I know everyone of us gained a lot from hearing from her.
I also really loved visiting the Human Rights Watch and talking to women closer to my own age who are working in positions that I could potentially be doing in just a few years. It was fantastic being able to speak to them in such an intimate setting because the site visit groups were so small.
What do you hope to never forget?
I hope that I never forget that nobody’s path is the same and that life is full of twists and turns that will always end up placing oneself where one needs to be. I hope that I learn to trust my instincts and always listen to what my heart wants, not just what my head thinks is best. I also hope to always remember that every single person in the world has something special and something useful to say, so listening is the most important skill in diplomacy.
Why should other students attend a PLEN conference?
This conference honestly exceeded my expectations by miles. Anyone interested in the many fields that PLEN offers conferences for should attend because it opens up doors and opportunities that most people are completely unaware of. It also allows a chance to see real life women doing your dream job and succeeding at it. It turns dreams into goals.
Does this sound like something you might be interested in? Tulane undergraduate students can apply to NCI for funding to attend PLEN conferences. Email Betsy Lopez at elopez@tulane.edu for more information.
Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.