MacKenzie Bowcutt

Biography

Mackenzie Bowcutt US Embassy, Manila Philippines

At the time of applying for the US Department of State’s Internship Program, I knew two things (1) I was not going to be getting paid all Summer, and (2) I wanted to work in the Philippines. After going through the interview process and being accepted for the program at US Embassy Manila, I was nervous about the type of work I would be doing and the atmosphere of an embassy. Being assigned to the Consular Section, specifically the Fraud Prevention Unit, was an amazing opportunity to gain multiple perspectives of how Consular Sections are ran, and the huge number of Philippine citizens wanting to enter the United States. Working in a US Embassy was a very dynamic experience that required a combination of skills. Outside of the embassy, merely living in the Philippines was a unique experience on its own. The work and the living experiences held multiple connections to the topics I have studied over the past 4 years at Utah State. The Philippines has been affected heavily by signs of a declining democracy, terrorism, and globalization. It’s fascinating to be able to learn these types of things in a classroom and then actually see them taking place all in one country. 

MacKenzie is a pictured above with Ambassador Sung Kim, Ambassador to the Philippines.