Internship Spotlight: Antonia Davila - The United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Guatemala

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Mr. George Currie for making this internship experience possible through the McDonald Currie Fund for International Management and Development Internship Award. I am currently an undergraduate student at McGill University majoring in Economics and minoring in International Development. My academic and volunteer experiences have given me a deep interest in migration, media, and policy. For four years, I have been involved in immigrant and refugee advocacy in Montreal, working with PROMIS Assistance for Immigrants and Refugees. This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work as a remote Partnerships and Communications intern with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Guatemala.

I chose this internship because I wanted to apply my academic knowledge in a real-world international development context while continuing to support refugee rights and awareness. As someone who has worked as the VP Communications for the Club McGill Students for UNICEF (MSFU), I saw this position as a way to contribute creatively to a mission that is important to me. I was especially drawn to the role’s emphasis on translating UNHCR’s goals into visual and written content that could reach diverse audiences.

UNHCR Guatemala is part of the United Nations Refugee Agency’s mission to protect the rights and well-being of displaced people. The office plays a key role in the Regional Protection and Solutions Strategy for Central America, addressing challenges such as violence, forced displacement, and gender-based persecution. It provides legal protection, humanitarian assistance, and integration support, helping refugees access housing, education, healthcare, and livelihoods. In addition, the office engages in advocacy with governments, fosters partnerships with local and international organizations, and uses strategic communication to raise awareness, counter misinformation, and promote solidarity with forcibly displaced populations.

As an intern in the Communications team, I was responsible for producing digital content tailored to UNHCR Guatemala’s social media platforms and external communications. This included letters celebrating the national days of the UNHCR’s donors and important dates such as the World Refugee Day. I also contributed to the 2025 UNHCR Guatemala report, formatted official documents to meet UNHCR’s branding and style guidelines, and collaborated with staff on layout and visual design using tools like Canva and Photoshop. In addition, I worked closely with the Partnerships team to gather information from donors for communication materials and reports. These tasks helped me refine both my creative and analytical skills while learning to communicate complex humanitarian issues in accessible and engaging ways.

My academic background in Economics and International Development was particularly helpful in understanding the drivers of displacement and the socioeconomic implications of forced migration. Frameworks I studied in class, such as intersectionality and political economy, helped me interpret the challenges discussed in inter-agency coordination meetings. Additionally, my experience as the VP Communications of MSFU for 2024-2025 prepared me for tasks like formatting materials for social media.

One highlight of the internship was helping to write the annual report for UNHCR. I got to work outside the Communications team on something completely new. I conducted research and I communicated with other United Nations agencies to gather more information on the collaboration and actions undertaken by the agencies in Guatemala. Seeing the clear results and the collaboration between agencies was extremely insightful. Additionally, creating the national posts for the donors was an important part of my internship; this involved ensuring that the message would resonate across audiences. Seeing the content, I helped produce on UNHCR Guatemala’s social media was incredibly rewarding.

A major challenge I encountered was balancing the technical expectations of graphic design with the humanitarian tone and sensitivity required for refugee communication. It took several drafts and feedback sessions to find the right approach. I overcame this by carefully reviewing UNHCR’s communication guidelines and seeking advice from my colleagues on the Communications team.

Looking forward, this experience has significantly shaped my career goals. It reaffirmed my interest in working in international development, and it gave me valuable insight into how large organizations operate in humanitarian settings. The award I received played a crucial role in enabling me to take on this internship. It helped me cover expenses related to the different editing software needed and provided the financial flexibility to dedicate myself to the internship.

Thank you again to Mr. George Currie for your generous support through the McDonald Currie Fund for International Management and Development Internship Award. This experience has deeply enriched my academic and professional journey.