Nicole Hatton
Welcome!
Nicole Hatton is a senior at Florida International University and a student in the Honors College. She is preparing to complete her undergrad journey with a double major in International Relations and Political Science, with a concentration on Latin America. After graduating from FIU, Nicole plans to pursue a career as a foreign service officer in order to assist and encourage diplomacy on behalf of the United States.
Nicole Hatton
Global Learning Student
Florida International University
"Education is education. We should learn everything and then choose which path to follow. Education is neither Eastern nor Western. It is human."
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- Malala Yousafzai
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Sigma Iota Rho Honors Society
Secretary & Treasurer
I could not be more grateful for having the opportunity to serve on the executive board for my senior year at FIU. It was my first time applying for an e-board position in my undergrad career, and while the virtual landscape could be challenging at times, the exchanges and events I got to organize and participate in with the international relations student community enriched my global experience at FIU.
BC Community Project
Outreach Coordinator
I am proudest of my participation in The BC Community Project. This was my first experience with the local homeless population in Miami-Dade and absolutely fueled me to want be more involved with my local community. The project organizes weekly community clean ups, food and hygiene kit distribution and book drives, as well as financial services which helping those who qualified for Covid relief. It will eventually establish transitional housing for the chronically homeless. My involvement with this amazing organization helped me fully realize that in order to be the most helpful, I need to be actively involved and knowledgable about my own community first.
Model United Nations
Director of Marketing
Joining the Model United Nations team at FIU was a true test of my resilience and leadership. I witnessed tremendous leadership and energy within the organization after volunteering at FIMUN32, and just as I made my decision to join the team, FIU closed its campus indefinitely the next week due to the Covid-19 outbreak. I pushed through to try out to land a spot for the Fall 2020 semester. When I realized much of the MUN world would remain online for safety, I decided to join the executive board in order to be as involved as possible without attending conferences. Through this experience I was able to participate in global conversations with my fellow students, as well as hone my communications skills developing social media content and outreach for the team.
GLOBAL LEARNING EDUCATION
INR 3081
Contemp Int'l Problems
INR 3081 examined specific world and regional issues, specifically the correlation between nationalism, climate change, conflict, and equality and their effects on national and global security. I had the opportunity to conduct 2 research projects during the semester; the first interviewing several candidates about their thoughts on our biggest security threat and delve into the reasons why they came to those conclusions, and the second conducting analytical research on the effects of nationalism and climate change on global relations in India
IDH 3035
Diplomacy Lab
Diplomacy Lab affords students the opportunity to explore real-world challenges identified by State Department officials and work under the guidance of FIU faculty members with experience in diplomacy and international relations. I conducted open-source research on traditional and digital narcotics trafficking in the Indo-Pacific region for the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), a non-profit research organization in Washington, D.C.
INR 4075
Int'l Protection of Human Rights
INR 4075 is concerned with the international community and the rights of individuals and groups and the institutional mechanisms that have been set up for their protection. The class was able to discuss and attempt to dissect human rights issues, and my research led me to the issue of human rights violations committed by corporations.
IDH 3035
Intel Services in Contemporary IR
Intelligence Services in IR explored the various intelligence agencies both domestic and international and their impact on the world stage. After learning about the operations of the intelligence community broadly and their reach, I was able to conduct research and organize a presentation on MK Ultra, a clandestine CIA operation that had global implications.
INTERNSHIP
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
EMBRACING THE UNEXPECTED
My passion for diplomacy in Latin America was what led me to becoming a Hamilton Scholar and a part of the FIU in DC team in the first place, and through this incredible experience I have learned to embrace unexpected opportunity. Interning at the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Office of the Secretary was not something I imagined myself doing. Where would I fit in within this sector of the Executive Branch?
Little did I know how much invaluable insight and experience I would gain from this internship. I discovered all the policy areas the Department of Commerce is involved in, and got to work alongside a fantastic team that championed me every step of the way and gave me the tools and support to hone my leadership skills and facilitate every opportunity for professional development.
I am looking forward now more than ever to continuing my future in the federal government, in whichever direction that takes me, always keeping an open mind. While my end goal is to become a foreign service office for the U.S. Department of State, it was the most pleasant surprise having such an enjoyable experience in a never-a-dull-moment environment, in the most unexpected circumstance.
REFLECTION
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As a Global Learning student at FIU, I have gained global perspective and awareness while participating in local and international problem solving. I have and will continue to use the knowledge learned in my Global Learning courses to catapult my aspirations to be an agent of change in my community, both at home and abroad. I was more than fortunate to take part in an internship with the U.S. Department of Commerce which allowed me to directly work with the federal government and witness the processes through which they create policy to benefit the American people as well as facilitate good relations globally. I have broadened my global perspective by engaging with diverse students, participating in events that were outside of my comfort zone, and working towards learning how to develop solutions for the world's most pressing development challenges. I have practiced being a global citizen through the experiences offered to me as an Honors College and Global Learning student.
I will always be grateful that I got to finish my undergrad journey here at FIU. As a non-traditional student who began her path as a panther originally in 2007, it feels surreal to me that the Panther family got to play this role in finding my next dream. Post-graduation, I plan on pursuing a career as a foreign service officer in order to assist and encourage diplomacy on behalf of the United States. I am confident that my experiences at FIU will serve me well in my future career path, and I am grateful for the opportunities awarded to me by the Global Learning program.