March 25, 2008 – September 25, 2008

School: University of California Davis / Sacramento City College
Major: International Relations (World Trade and Economic Development Track)
Minor: Communication
Email: sal.mendez@N0SPAM.gmail.com
Hometown: Sacramento, CA

I first heard of this internship program through testimonials of former interns I spoke with at school. They told me that the program was rigorous, but very rewarding and worth my time and effort. I trusted their advice, and can now share my own testimonial that working for the Sacramento Export Assistance Center during these past few months as an International Trade Assistant has been one of the most invigorating and exciting  moments of my life.

As an International Relations major, little is more rewarding than working with a team which works at tearing down international trade barriers that prevent the free exchange of ideas, services, and products. Instead of reading about theories and ideas in class, I did the real work of understanding and overcoming those barriers on a daily basis. To do this, I communicated with embassy staff and many other organizations all over the world. I also learned how to use the resources of the United States, International Organizations, and other countries to create and understand the constantly changing barriers to trade.

Daily, I sat in awe of the entrepreneurial spirit of business owners as I was working on various accounts: some multi-millionaires and some who were starting their first  International Business. Through this constant exposure to individuals with new and interesting ideas I am inspired to one day start my own international business.

I would find myself getting excited when clients had products to export that had the potential to save lives, improve the quality of life, and improve the environment, yet didn’t know how to overcome national trade barriers or even where to start. I leave the internship program knowing that through these companies, I have made a huge impact on the world.

As a result of my training through this program, today I can confidently say that I am indeed an International Trade Expert.  As I take the next step in my life, I know I have a solid foundation to do whatever I want in the field of International Trade.