Elizabeth Stallard | IE School of Global and Public Affairs

Elizabeth Stallard

About me

I am from Greenwich, Connecticut, which is just outside of New York City and I like to think of myself as hard-working, honest, and caring. I am driven by a strong sense of justice and desire to create equal opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and groups. Given this, it comes as no surprise that I have a passion for human rights advocacy. Even as a little girl, I felt a strong sense of what was wrong and right and since then, I’ve always wanted to address and talk about the injustices I’ve encountered in life.

Elizabeth Stallard
Master’s student, Grants and Communications Assistant (Building One Community)
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Master in International Relations
Elizabeth Stallard | IE School of Global and Public Affairs

“I loved the idea of sharing a classroom with people from different countries and learning from their experiences and cultures. Without a doubt, this aspect has really enriched my studies.”

Elizabeth Stallard

My undergraduate degree is in political science—and I continue to be very passionate about politics. However, my studies in communications and Spanish have also played large roles in shaping my professional experiences. In the past few years, I have served in many communications-based roles in mostly non-profit organizations where my language skills were useful. Just before coming to IE University, I was doing a communications and development role at a nonprofit in the US that provides support services for immigrants. These can include immigration-specific legal services, job training courses, family support services, and many more.

Initially, I was drawn to IE University due to its internationality. I loved the idea of sharing a classroom with people from different countries and learning from their experiences and cultures. Without a doubt, this aspect has really enriched my studies. Throughout the Master in International Relations program we changed work groups every term, helping me to build relationships with students from a variety of different backgrounds. While it can sometimes be quite challenging to work with people who approach problem-solving in different ways than you do, the positive takeaways are always countless.

In addition to that, the courses included in my program were a big contributing factor in my decision to study at IE University. In particular, the mix of business and law really appealed to me as a relevant and rounded approach to the field of international relations. Aside from this, the location of IE University in Madrid also contributed to my decision. I’ve spent years studying and working in Spain and have always considered it a second home, so I couldn’t pass up another opportunity to live in one of my favorite countries!

Having almost completed the program, I can say that my IE experience has been both extremely challenging and rewarding at the same time. Although the Master in International Relations is intense and requires a lot of hard work, it introduced me to new ideas, while helping me form lifelong friends and connections. Through studying at IE University, I’ve also had access to unique learning opportunities including conducting research for the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, volunteering at a policy dialogue, and attending many on-campus events with experts from around the world.

After graduation, I am planning to work in a communications role focused on human rights advocacy. After many years of improving my Spanish language skills, I hope to find a position where I can continue to use Spanish. At this point, my long-term goal is to grow within a human rights organization and become a communications director. However, I’ll probably always have my eye on the United Nations as well. I think the UN is an amazing exercise in international cooperation and I’d jump at the opportunity to spend some years of my career there to assist with the global advancement of human rights protections.

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