Sarah Galbenski
I grew up in Grosse Pointe Shores, a suburb just outside of Detroit, Michigan, in the United States. As a young girl, I loved watching the Detroit Red Wings play ice hockey with my dad. From the arena, we could wave across the Detroit River at the city of Windsor in Canada; the idea of having a whole other country less than a mile away from home always fascinated me. Perhaps this was the origin of my interest in international and intercultural exchange. During my elementary school years, my father served as the global chair of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. With chapters in over 60 countries, this global network allowed us to travel extensively as a family, further nurturing my curiosity for cultures, languages, and different ways of living. To this day, I would describe myself as a curious person who enjoys exploring and trying new things.
“The international environment was a huge plus for me, allowing me to strengthen my professional Spanish and providing me with all the tools I needed to feel confident participating in future bilingual workplaces.”
Nurturing a passion for inter-American relations
Sarah Galbenski’s international outlook was nurtured from a young age, having grown up in an entrepreneurial family that traveled regularly for “universities” – annual learning events for entrepreneurs. These universities took place in countries such as Japan, China, India, the UAE, New Zealand, the UK and more, and they planted a desire in Sarah to understand the world from a range of perspectives. Her upbringing inspired her to pursue further international experiences during her undergraduate years, including a summer spent teaching English in Ecuador and a term studying in Santiago, Chile, both of which provided an immersive experience in Spanish language learning.
Following these experiences, Sarah knew she wanted to pursue her master’s degree abroad to broaden her educational and professional worldview. It was actually IE University graduate and fellow Fulbright Scholar Allison Hidalgo who inspired her to look to Madrid for academic opportunities. She was thrilled to discover that the Master in International Relations offered a unique post-graduate fellowship program in conjunction with the Organization of American States (OAS)—improving inter-American relations is an area Sarah has long been interested in and one which she remains passionate about to this day.
Naturally, then, the OAS-IE Americas Fellowship was the next logical step in Sarah’s educational journey. The program allowed her to spend four months at the OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., where she worked in the Department of Social Inclusion as part of the Secretariat for Access to Rights and Equity. Again, the international environment held huge appeal for Sarah, allowing her to strengthen her professional Spanish and providing her with all the tools she needed to feel confident participating in future bilingual workplaces.
“I credit my experience at IE University with giving me friends in almost every corner of the world.”
During her time with the OAS, she served as a research assistant on the Compendium of Experiences and Lessons Learned from the Measurement of Multidimensional Poverty in the Americas publication. She also served as the principal drafter of the Canadian chapter of the compendium. Sarah was invited, along with her team, to launch the publication at the Department of Social Inclusion’s triennial event, the Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development in the Americas (V REMDES) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She also had the chance to attend the OAS’ Permanent Council meetings and interact with the delegations from each member country. She is grateful that the experience gave her the chance to learn firsthand about the inner workings of such a prominent regional multilateral organization.
Beyond these opportunities, living and working in Washington also gave Sarah access to events at prestigious international institutions, including annual meetings at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, which are located just a stone’s throw from the OAS.
Indeed, her time at IE University was the perfect preparation for an international fellowship program. She explains how her Latin American studies electives—Comparative Politics with Professor Wiesehomeier and Business Economics with Professor Germán Ríos—provided her with valuable insight into the circumstances of different OAS member nations. She adds that the solid base of knowledge she acquired in political science, economics, data analysis and the history and theory of international relations allowed her to thrive during the fellowship. Beyond the academic benefits of her time at IE University, she emphasizes that working together with colleagues from all over the world helped to enhance her intercultural collaboration skills, which she has used extensively within the diverse working environment of the OAS.
Sarah’s advice for anyone looking to enroll in the Master in International Relations and pursue the OAS-IE Americas Fellowship is to take full advantage of its two host cities: Madrid and Washington, D.C. In her experience, the two capitals, though different, both boast rich histories, beautiful architecture, abundant green space, delicious food and great people. She encourages everyone to go beyond the program and get to know the local communities and everything they have to offer.
This attitude certainly served Sarah well—she credits her experience at IE University with giving her friends in almost every corner of the world. She is also particularly grateful for the university’s emphasis on partnerships, which has encouraged her initial steps into the world of multilateral organizations in an attempt to achieve a more interconnected world.
