Learning diplomacy

Coburn travels to Germany for prestigious young professionals program

Michael Alexander

NLJ Reporter

Riley Coburn, a 2018 Upton High School graduate, is one of 150 young professionals from the United States and Germany chosen to participate in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals. This program is sponsored by Germany’s federal parliament, the Bundestag.

Coburn completed an international studies program at the University of Wyoming in 2022 and, afterward, spent time working on Capitol Hill. She started as an intern for Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso before getting hired as a full-time staffer for the senator.

“It was transformative,” Coburn said of her Capitol Hill experience.

After deciding she would like to further her education, Coburn applied for the CBYX program, which began a few weeks ago.

Currently in Saarbrücken, Germany, Coburn is undergoing the first phase of the program, language training. She will spend two months in Saarbrücken, honing her German language skills. She is also living with a host family and is expected to integrate with the local community as best she can.

Afterward, Coburn will move to Marburg, Germany, which will be her final placement. She will attend international studies courses for a semester at the Philipps University of Marburg, where she will gain insight into the university experience of the average German graduate student. She said she is very excited to enroll in her courses, which will begin in the spring.

Coburn will also be responsible for 40 hours of volunteer work. Her ideal would be to help at a bakery or with a sports team.

The final phase of the program will involve an internship. Coburn anticipates interning with a local government or think tank that focuses on rural policy. This phase is especially important to her.

“It’s why I’m here (in Germany),” she said.

The recent spate of rural revolts in Europe over government policies was another motivating factor for Coburn applying to the program. She would like to analyze this issue on the ground and hopes to gain insight by interviewing those involved in such revolts. 

Coburn also credited past teachers for inspiring her to pursue this path. She recalled her high school social studies teacher, Nick Johnson, informing her about what an ambassador does.

Johnson, along with some great professors, led her to realize that she would like to work in this field and that her dream job would be an ambassador.

Her experience so far has her hoping that she gets to return to Germany someday, and she hopes that more young people from Wyoming apply to the program.