Fellows Snapshots

2023 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Fellowship Program Snapshots

On December 09, the 2023 Pickering Fellowship selection panel chose 45 2023 Pickering Fellows.  The selection panel was extremely impressed by the new fellows’ experiences, leadership, and commitment to a Foreign Service career. The program received 602 applications, and the selection process was highly competitive. 

2022 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Fellowship Program Snapshots

On November 17, the 2022 Pickering Fellowship selection panel chose 45 2022 Pickering Fellows.  The selection panel was extremely impressed by the new fellows’ experiences, leadership, and commitment to a Foreign Service career. The program received 535 applications, and the selection process was highly competitive. 

Ben Anderson is from Louisville, Kentucky, and obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville, where he studied political science. Ben earned a Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) Fellowship with Carnegie Mellon. In addition, Ben completed a Critical Language Scholarship in Suzhou, China, and spent time in Taiwan as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. He is proficient in Chinese. 

Irla Atanda is originally from Jacksonville, Florida. Irla graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in American Studies with a minor in international development Studies. Irla studied abroad at the University of Cape Town as a Gilman Scholar and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and received a Boren Scholarship for Brazil. She currently works at Refugees International as the Special Assistant to the organization’s president. She is proficient in Spanish.

Amber Bryan was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She attended the University of Notre Dame, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a certificate in international business. During her undergraduate career, Amber studied abroad in Brazil and Ireland. She has experience in government and corporate management and is a Certified Public Accountant. She is proficient in Portuguese.

Rachelly Buzzi was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and lived in Hollywood, Florida. She is a first-generation student completing her undergraduate studies at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School in international relations, concentrating on Latin America and entrepreneurship. Rachelly is a Posse Scholar and Carnegie Mellon PPIA alum.

Emily Carll was born in Rochester, New York, and raised in Conesus. Her studies took her to Stony Brook University, where she majored in Political Science and Asian and Asian-American Studies. During her undergraduate career, Emily was selected for the U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program and interned at the Department of State in Washington D.C. and abroad at the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. She was also selected as a Critical Language Scholar in 2020. Emily is currently a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Belgrade, Serbia. She speaks Slovak, Russian, French, and Hindi.

Arshelle Carter is originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where she graduated with a dual degree in Business Management and International Studies. Arshelle studied abroad in Mexico, Spain, and Qatar during her undergraduate career. She also interned for the U.S. Embassy in Suriname. Arshelle received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant to Indonesia. After her service, she coordinated the program for two years. Through her experiences, she developed an appreciation for international education and exchange. Currently, she coordinates the TechGirls program, a Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs initiative. Her languages include Indonesian and Spanish.

Diana Chavez-Varela graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.A. in Political Economy. She conducted casework for recently resettled refugees at the International Rescue Committee and managed a team of more than thirty undergraduate researchers at Berkeley Law’s Human Rights Center. She completed a global internship abroad while studying at the University of Hong Kong and was awarded a fully funded scholarship for an immersive educational trip in the Middle East. She received a nuanced understanding of the region’s complexities. She is proficient in Spanish and French.

Lauren Choi is originally from Tacoma, Washington but grew up in Daejeon, South Korea. She graduated from New York University with degrees in public policy and global liberal studies. She studied abroad in Shanghai during her undergraduate career and interned with UNHCR Korea. Following graduation, Lauren served two years with AmeriCorps, a year with the New York City Department of Education, and another year with the City of Tacoma’s Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability. Her languages include Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese.

Brenda Coromina is originally from Miami, Florida. She is a graduate of Georgetown University and the Honors College at Miami Dade College. Brenda obtained her B.S in Foreign Service, a concentration in International History, and a certificate in Religion, Ethics, and World Affairs. As an undergraduate student, she interned at the U.S. House of Representatives, the International Rescue Committee, the Immigrant Resource Center, and the U.S. Embassy in Tunis. In addition, Brenda facilitated creative programming events virtually. She is currently a Princeton in Africa Fellow with the International Livestock Research Institute. 

Jaleah Cullors is from Overland Park, Kansas. At the University of Kansas, she obtained bachelor’s degrees in global and international studies and political science, with minors in intelligence and national security studies, Middle East studies, and Spanish. She was a member of the Global Scholars Program, the Honors Program, and the McNair Scholars Program. Jaleah was also an Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence Scholar and a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow. In addition, she interned with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Tima Dasouki is a Syrian American born in Pennsylvania and raised in Florida. She will graduate from Boston University in May 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and Middle East and North Africa Studies. Tima is an alumna of the Boren, Critical Language, and Gilman Scholarships and interned with the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan this past summer. At Boston University, she founded the B.U. Career Closet- an initiative to provide free professional clothing to all students. Currently, she is a Middle East Studies intern at the Council on Foreign Relations. Her languages include Arabic, Turkish, French, and German.

Lelia Jo Dusthimer (“L.J.”) is from Mount Vernon, Ohio. She graduated from Kenyon College, where she studied international studies and Arabic. She has interned at the White House, and the U.S. Department of State studied in Morocco as a Gilman Scholar. She was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Malaysia and started a nonprofit initiative to improve women’s access to healthcare in Nepal. L.J. currently works as a Senior Analyst in Asset Management at Goldman Sachs. Her languages include Arabic, Hindi, and French. 

Ciera Dykstra is a first-generation student from Alaska and grew up around the western United States. They completed their studies in international affairs and political science. Ciera has lived and studied in Senegal, Korea, and the United Arab Emirates, most recently representing the U.S. Department of State at the World EXPO 2020. Ciera has worked domestically with immigrants and survivors of abuse through Colorado Legal Services and nonprofit The Serenity Project. They are a recipient of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and Critical Language Scholarship. Ciera’s languages include French and Arabic.

Zantana Ephrem is from Las Vegas, Nevada, and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Economics and dual minors in Political Science and Philosophy: Law & Justice. She currently works as a Foreign Affairs Legislative Correspondent in the Senate. Previously, Zantana was a Policy Fellow at Foreign Policy for America and the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. She was a Rangel Scholar and earned a Boren Scholarship and Fellowship to Haifa and Amman. Zantana has studied, worked, and traveled throughout Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Her languages include Amharic, Tigrinya, and Arabic.

Narayan Felix is a native of Silver Spring, Maryland. He graduated summa cum laude from Temple University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in global studies emphasizing international security. Here, Narayan served as Vice President of the Society of Emerging African Leaders, traveled to South Africa for Temple’s inaugural inclusive leadership program, and was a Phi Beta Kappa national honor society member. In addition, he routinely engaged in youth development work in Philadelphia and interned for the U.S. African Development Foundation and The Africa Society in Washington D.C. Narayan is proficient in French.

Desmond A. Ferrell was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up in Southaven, Mississippi. He graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor’s degree in foreign service. Desmond interned on Capitol Hill during his undergraduate studies in the Senate and House. After graduation, Desmond taught German at the University of Missouri (Mizzou), earning an M.A. in German Studies. Desmond served as a Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) Fellow in Cologne, Germany. After earning his M.A. from Mizzou, Desmond began teaching English in Germany at the University of Marburg’s Language Center. He is proficient in German.

Nia Kamau is from Little Elm, Texas, and attended Southern Methodist University. She majored in human rights and international studies with minors in economics, public policy & international affairs, and Arabic. She served as the Student Trustee and a Human Rights Fellow at her university. She worked on economic empowerment for Ugandan trafficking survivors with The Market Project.

Shiru Kimani is a first-generation college student and Kenyan American. She was born in Castro Valley, California, and grew up in neighboring Hayward. She is a senior at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. She majors in international economics, Arabic, and French with a minor in statistics. She received honors like Dean’s list, Outstanding First-Year Student, and Omicron Delta Kappa. She completed an internship at J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank as a Wealth Management summer analyst. Shiru is completing her study abroad in Toulouse, France, for her last semester of undergraduate study.

Elisabeth Miller is from Seattle, WA, and was born in Germany. She graduated from Lewis & Clark College with degrees in French studies and psychology. She spent a summer teaching English in Ladakh, India, as an undergraduate. She studied for a semester in Paris, France, and interned with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism as a Council of American Ambassadors Fellow. Currently, Elisabeth works with Corps Africa in Rabat, Morocco, helping manage a volunteer program for Africans modeled on the Peace Corps. She is proficient in French and Darija. 

Chris Murphy was born in Sylvania, Ohio, and raised in Monroe, Michigan. He holds a bachelor’s in Chinese from Michigan State University and a Master of Law in China Studies from the Yenching Academy of Peking University. In addition, Chris received the prestigious Gilman and Boren scholarships to study abroad in Harbin and Hangzhou, China. Chris is currently a French teacher in Munich, Germany, and his languages include French, Spanish, Mandarin, German, and Portuguese.

Nourhan Nasser was born and raised in Lebanon before moving to Orlando, Florida. During her gap year, she served as a Youth Ambassador in the Northeastern region of Brazil with Rotary Youth Exchange. She recently earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Central Florida, concentrating in comparative politics and international relations. In addition, Nourhan minored in Latin American Studies and earned a certificate in Intelligence and National Security. She is currently a mentor at the Catholic Charities Youth Refugee Program and is proficient in Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese.  

Monica Anne Eustaquio Orillo is from Phoenix, Arizona, and she is a member of the Filipino American community. In 2020, she graduated from Arizona State University with bachelor’s degrees in political science and German. She has lived in Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program in the Philippines through the Boren Award. Her undergraduate experiences include interning for the State Department and Phoenix Sister Cities, conducting research on U.S.-Philippine relations, and teaching English as a foreign language. Currently, Monica is back in Germany as a Fulbright English Assistant. Her languages include Filipino and German.

Angel Orozco is originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado. He graduated from Arizona State University (ASU) with a B.A. in Business (Global Politics) and Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. During his time at university, Angel served in the Arizona Army National Guard as a Combat Engineer and interned for a congressional office. Additionally, Angel completed two years of Spanish study at ASU.

Carlos Outten is a first-generation Bahamian American from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He earned his B.A. from Morehouse College in theater and music. Carlos was an Oprah Winfrey Scholar and performed tours of service in South Africa and Zimbabwe. In 2019, Carlos earned the Verbal Commendation Indonesia’s Asia World United Nations Model. In addition, Carlos is a Teach America Elected Leadership fellow and a Policy Advisor Fellow for Leadership in Educational Equality. Carlos’s goal is to become a cultural affairs officer and help to promote U.S. cultural, economic, and technological advancements in foreign countries to obtain more sustainable and wholistic global environments.

Eni Owoeye is a first-generation Nigerian American born in Brooklyn, New York. Her familial roots and connections extend across the east coast of the United States. She is a senior at New York University studying international relations and environmental science with a minor in Spanish. Eni gained work experience at the United Nations Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of State. Her professional experience includes the countries of Nicaragua, Cuba, and the UAE. Her languages include Spanish and Yoruba.

Ibilola Owoyele is a Nigerian-American raised in Sacramento, California. She graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service with a B.S. in Culture and Politics and a minor in African Studies. During her undergraduate studies, Ibilola interned with the Political & Economic Bureau at the U.S. Embassy in Togo and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Africa Business Center in D.C. After graduating, she served as a Princeton-in-Africa Fellow at the African School of Economics, where she evaluated the impact of donor-funded programs. She is a Project Manager at Chemonics International, where her work in Francophone West Africa and Haiti focuses on rule-of-law.

Josh Pope is a first-generation student from Queens, New York, and a recent graduate of the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. He received a degree in International Affairs, concentrating on international economics and security policy. Josh also studied Mandarin while abroad in Taipei, Taiwan. In addition, he interned for the South and Central Asia Bureau through the VSFS program at the Department of State and received the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship. He is currently the Director for the Onero Institute’s China Program and working on a New York State Senate campaign. 

Michael Portillo was born and raised in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Michael studied at National Taiwan University as a Gilman Scholar. Michael will graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in economics and a minor in statistics in May of 2022. His background is mainly in economic research. His topics include game theory, financial regulation, and income inequality. Michael is also an alum of the U.S. Department of State’s USFSIP program. In addition, he is proficient in traditional and simplified Mandarin Chinese.

Shanique Reid is a first-generation Jamaican American raised in Hartford, Connecticut. She graduated from the University of Hartford, where she studied Communications. Shanique studied at the University of Ghana, where Shanique conducted comparative research on post-colonial Pan African movements of the Caribbean and West Africa. She served as Global Ambassador for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Shanique currently works as the Public Policy and Advocacy Manager for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. She is proficient in American Sign Language and Twi. 

Betsabe Rojas Gonzalez is Mexican American originally from Texcaltitlan, Mexico. She is a Martin Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with double majors in economics and political science with a minor in statistics. Since 2019, Betsabe has worked with the grassroots immigrant rights organization Comunidad Colectiva. She has helped connect the immigrant communities in Charlotte to resources, such as COVID relief funds and vaccination drives. She participated in the 2020 Charles B. Rangel Summer Enrichment Program and served as a U.S. Foreign Service Intern. Her languages are English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

Arthur Rodriguez was born in Morgan Hill, California, and graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in science, technology, and international affairs. Arthur works at an education technology company called Springboard and previously worked as a student analyst at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, served as a social entrepreneurship fellow with Agora Partnerships in Santiago, Chile, and interned with the State Department Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction. Additionally, Arthur studied political science as a Gilman Scholar at Complutense University in Madrid, Spain, and participated in the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Program. Arthur is proficient in Spanish.

Laura Romero is a Mexican American first-generation college graduate. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and earned a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, where she focused on transnational crime and development. Laura conducted forensic research of the Holocaust across Eastern Europe during her undergraduate career and interned for the French NGO Yahad-In Unum, advocating for genocide awareness. Laura also studied international business at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México on a Fulbright grant and served as an AmeriCorps VISTA. Her languages include Spanish, French, and Italian.

Maya Rosales is from Petaluma, California. She earned her bachelor’s degree with high distinction from the University of California at Berkeley. She was an FGLI student, a Leadership Award recipient, and a Gilman scholar. She is currently Brent Scowcroft Fellow at the Aspen Institute. She speaks Spanish and has interned for the U.N. High Commission on Refugees, the Council on Foreign Relations, U.S. Embassy Lima, California Rural Legal Assistance, the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Vice President Kamala Harris then-Senate office, and the State Department’s Bureau of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

Julio Salmeron-Perla was born in San Miguel, El Salvador, and raised in Washington, D.C., is a senior at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. He studies International Politics with a concentration in International Law, Institutions, and Ethics. Julio studied abroad in Tours, France; he has worked at the intersection of foreign affairs and public policy, as evidenced through his professional work experiences at the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador and in Congress at the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Julio is proficient in Spanish and French.

Juan San Nicolas is from the village of Sinajana on the island of Guam. He graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University with a Political Science degree. Juan interned for the Guam Legislature under Senator Michael San Nicolas and did historical research projects for the Guam Preservation Trust. In addition, Juan did a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Gochang, South Korea, and is currently working in Seoul. He hopes to pursue opportunities that will allow him to research ways to improve the U.S.’s diplomatic efforts with Pacific Island Countries. Juan is proficient in Chamoru, Spanish, Korean, and Italian.

Donovan Satchell is from Dallas, Texas. He currently attends Texas Tech University, completing a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies with minors in Arabic, English, History, Political Science, and Legal Studies. In 2020, Donovan interned for the Texas Diplomat in Residence with the U.S. Department of State. He provided direct assistance by cross-examining data for minority-serving institutions and creating national recruiting projects with Diplomats around the globe. Donovan has spent much time abroad in Europe and the Middle East. Most recently, he studied Arabic and Muslim civilization history in Jordan.

Tradgon Sexton is from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and he graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University. While at VCU, he double majored in Foreign Language Studies and International Studies with concentrations in French and European History, respectively. Tradgon had the incredible opportunity to study abroad as a Boren Award recipient in Dakar, Senegal, as part of the African Flagship Languages Initiative. Upon graduation this past May, he began working as an English Teaching Assistant in Draguignan, France, as part of the Teaching Assistant Program in France, a cross-cultural partner program between the United States and the French Ministry of Education.

Nikita Shukla grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and attended Tufts University, majoring in international relations and economics. After graduating, she joined the Clinton Health Access Initiative as a global health workforce analytics associate. Nikita has held leadership positions in Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security, Women in Global Health, and The World Economic Forum Global Shapers LA. In addition, Nikita, a 2019 USA Head Delegate to the G7 Youth Summit in Paris, France, served as the 2020 Sherpa to the G7 Youth Summit on the COVID-19 response received the highest civilian honor from the New Jersey Senate. Her languages include Hindi and Spanish. 

Winaly Simpson is a Nicaraguan American from Miami, Florida. She is a first-generation college student, graduating from American University this December with economics and international studies. Winaly interned for nonprofits, the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Senate and taught English abroad in Italy during her undergraduate career. She is a PPIA-Princeton alumna pursuing a graduate program that focuses on economic development. Her languages include Spanish and French.

Ivan Solomon was born in Livingston, New Jersey, and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina. He relocated to California to attend Pomona College. While there, his Arabic studies took him to Morocco as a Boren Scholar, and his broader interest in international relations led him to participate in exchange programs in Korea, China, and Croatia. After graduation, Ivan returned to Morocco as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, and currently, Ivan works for a tech-focused nonprofit.

Diana Sosa is originally from Centreville, Virginia, and is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where she focused on Latin American studies and international development. Diana spent a semester in Ecuador during undergrad, participated in the United States Foreign Service Internship Program, conducted research on domestic workers, and interned for Senator Mark Warner. She taught English in Mallorca, Spain, and currently is interning at the nonprofit Verein Maiz and teaching English in Linz, Austria, through a Fulbright combined grant. She speaks Spanish, German, and Portuguese.

Katherine Torres hails from Gainesville, Georgia, where she studied political science at the University of North Georgia. While in college, Katherine Torres served as the Sophomore Class Representative, Global Engagement Peer Advisor, and a Newman Fellow. During her undergraduate career, she studied abroad in Ireland and Australia. Katherine earned a Fulbright ETA grant to teach English in Kinmen, Taiwan. She is a native Spanish speaker and currently studying elementary Mandarin in Taiwan. 

Luz Velazquez is a first-generation Paraguayan American born and raised in Queens, New York. She is a recent graduate of Binghamton University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with minors in Immigration Studies and Latin American & Caribbean Area Studies. She currently serves as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in La Rioja, Spain, and an immigration researcher for Amnesty International. During her undergraduate career, Luz was a JFEW SUNY Global Affairs Scholar, Lideres Avanzando Fellow for UnidosUS, and a research intern for the Institute of International Education. Her languages include Spanish and Guarani. 

Sophia Celeste Vos is originally from Boston and grew up in Massachusetts and Central Mexico. She earned an Honors B.A. in International Studies with a minor in Entrepreneurship from American University. After experiences in the Department of Commerce, Google, and Ashoka, Sophia pursued a Fulbright Scholarship in Mexico City. Sophia has since worked for U.S.-based start-ups and is now Co-Founder of Safar Street. Sophia is passionate about advancing human rights primarily related to migration and gender. Sophia has studied and worked in Mexico, Chile, Italy, Greece, Norway, and Cambodia. Her languages include Spanish, French, Italian, and beginner Arabic.

Vladyslav Wallace was born in Ukraine and raised in Plano, Texas. He graduated summa cum laude from The University of Texas at Dallas with a double-major in global business and international political economy. As a recipient of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth Scholarship, Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship, and the David L. Boren Scholarship, Vlad has previously held positions at a variety of organizations: Youth for Understanding Eesti, Transparency International Latvia, the Department of State, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, EducationUSA Almaty, Battleground Texas, and most recently, CAF America. His languages include Ukrainian, French, Russian, and Estonian.

2021 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Fellowship Program Snapshots

On December 17, the 2021 Pickering Fellowship selection panel chose 45 2021 Pickering Fellows.  The selection panel was extremely impressed by the new fellows’ experiences, leadership, and commitment to a Foreign Service career. The program received 1,301 applications, and the selection process was highly competitive. 

David Aguilar III is a first-generation student from North County San Diego and a recent graduate of the University of California, San Diego. David majored in political science and sociology, concentrating in international relations and law and society. He was a member of the Sociology Honors Program, participated in the Research Apprenticeship Program and the Rangel Summer Enrichment Program, and a became member of the Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society. He is proficient in Spanish and Italian.  

Robert Allen Jr. grew up in Fort Valley, Georgia, and attended LaGrange College where he majored in political science. After graduating, Robert joined the Peace Corps, where he served as an English Education Volunteer in Komrat, Moldova. Robert is pursuing a graduate program that allows him the flexibility to focus on several different concentrations of international affairs, preparing him to enter the Foreign Service. His languages include Spanish, Russian, and Romanian. 

Kendra Alvizures, a native of small-town Mitchell, South Dakota, graduated magna cum laude from South Dakota State University with bachelor’s degrees in Spanish, global studies, and political science. As a research assistant, she studied the political impact of the type and level of education of national politicians in the Western hemisphere. Kendra will pursue further studies on the theory and efficacy of public diplomacy in preparation for her career as a Foreign Service Officer. She is proficient in Spanish.  

Bukola Anifowoshe is a Nigerian-American immigrant raised in the Washington D.C. metro area. She graduated from Cornell University where she studied international development sociology and inequality studies. She has worked domestically and internationally with underserved primary schools in the United States and Ghana, refugee resettlement organizations in Egypt, and human rights advocates in India. After graduating from Cornell, she worked at Oxfam America on the Aid and Development Finance team. Her languages include French and Arabic. 

Soham Basu is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and graduated from Dartmouth College in 2020. He interned with the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs and spent a year in India on the Boren Scholarship studying Hindi and Urdu and serving as a research assistant at the Center for Social and Economic Progress in New Delhi. He is proficient in Urdu, Hindi, Bangla, and French. 

Ngenyi Beja grew up in Forest Lake, Minnesota and obtained her bachelor’s degree in international affairs from Northeastern University. As an undergraduate, she participated in a study abroad program to Israel centered on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and volunteered for a semester in Cambodia. Ngenyi was also the recipient of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Belgium. She is proficient in French. 

Yabsera Bekele was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and currently resides in Greensboro, North Carolina. She graduated from Wake Forest University where she studied politics and international affairs with double minors in Middle East and South Asia studies and religious studies. Yabsera has held numerous leadership positions during her time as an undergraduate, including serving as a Global Ambassador, Vice President, and Community Service Chair of the African and Caribbean Student Association. She is proficient in Amharic, Spanish, and Arabic.  

Khalil Bentley is from Chicago, Illinois and earned his bachelor’s degree in international studies from Denison University. Khalil has volunteered and worked for various organizations such as Trinity United Church of Christ’s Youth Church and Food Share ministries, West Virginia State University’s English as a Second Language program, and Denison University’s Paving-The-Way freshman pre-orientation program. Khalil has extensive cross-cultural experiences having studied and traveled abroad to Germany, England, and Cuba. Khalil’s languages include Mandarin, Spanish, and German. 

Brianne Berry, a Jersey Shore native, graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in English and Latin American Studies in 2017. She studied abroad in Valparaiso, Chile and conducted research on social capital and youth development. After graduating, Brianne was a Fulbright Scholar in Madrid, Spain, teaching Model UN to Spanish teenagers. Brianne currently works as an Immigration Services Officer at U.S. Citizenship and Services. Her languages include Spanish and Portuguese. 

Mary Bohn grew up in Tennessee and graduated from Emory University where she studied East Asian languages and cultures and global development. She is passionate about intercultural education and empowering at-risk communities and has had extensive experience in the education sector working as an educator, researcher, and program director at multiple non-profit organizations. She is a proud alumna of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship programs. Her languages include Korean, Mandarin, and French. 

May Braverman was born in China, adopted to the United States, and raised in New York City. A graduate of Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies, May recently spent two years abroad as a Critical Language Scholar in Taiwan and a Princeton-in-Asia Fellow in rural Xizhou, Yunnan, China. During her fellowship, May worked for the Linden Centre, a boutique hotel and cultural center, in the fields of education, marketing, and sustainable tourism. Her languages include Chinese and French. 

Andrea Calderón is originally from Houston, Texas and obtained her degree in environmental science from St. Edward’s University. As an undergraduate, she served as a Congressional Intern with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Andrea’s other experiences include studying abroad in Italy, Costa Rica, South Africa, and Australia, presenting at the International Conference on Poverty and Sustainable Development in Sri Lanka, and attending the International Conference on Negative Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Sweden. She is proficient in Spanish and Italian. 

Bella-Graciela Chavez is a recent graduate from the University of California, Berkeley where she double-majored in Latin American languages and cultures and comparative literature. During her undergraduate career, Bella-Graciela studied abroad in Brazil, Italy, Portugal, and Spain; and, also volunteered in Medellin, Colombia where she completed her education minor practicum. She is also a recipient of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Her languages include Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. 

Lilybeth Chavez was born and raised in Salinas, California. She will graduate from the University of California, Berkeley in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Italian studies and political science with a concentration in comparative politics. She has studied abroad in Trieste, Italy and was also an asylum intern for the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. Her languages include Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.   

Maya Cotton, originally from San Luis Obispo, California, received her B.A. in religious studies from DePauw University. During her undergraduate career, she studied abroad in France and Morocco, and received the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship to study in Thailand. Following graduation, she taught at the National School of Business and Management in Agadir, Morocco as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. Her languages include French, Spanish, and Darija. 

Ariel Daniels is a native of Milledgeville, Georgia, and graduated summa cum laude from Mercer University with a double-major in political science and international affairs and a minor in French. Ariel received the Gilman Scholarship to study Arabic in Morocco in 2018. As a Pickering Fellow, Ariel hopes to pursue a joint MPA/MA in international relations. She is proficient in French and Arabic. 

Chanel Diaz grew up on the Central Coast of California and is a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. She graduated summa cum laude from Pepperdine University and earned her bachelor’s degree in international studies, with an emphasis in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) affairs. Chanel completed a Critical Language Scholarship for Arabic in Morocco and was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Morocco. Chanel is proficient in Spanish, Darija, and Modern Standard Arabic. 

Lesley Ells is originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands but grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. She received her bachelor’s degree in global studies from Lesley University. During her undergraduate career, Lesley studied abroad in Hong Kong and Mexico and later participated in the USINDO Summer Studies Fellowship in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Currently, she serves as Assistant Director of Admissions at Lesley University and as a Committee Member for the Authentic Caribbean Foundation. Her languages include Spanish and Indonesian. 

Joshua Fife hails from Atlanta, Georgia, where he studied journalism and minored in public relations at Georgia State University. While in college, Joshua served as editor for Georgia State’s university newspaper, The Signal, where he led the development of their digital media department. Following graduation, Joshua served as an AmeriCorps member in Philadelphia and was later awarded a Fulbright ETA grant to teach English in Salvador, Brazil. He is proficient in Portuguese and Spanish. 

Annette Finnegan is originally from Cape Coral, Florida. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from Columbia University in 2017. She has interned at the William J. Clinton Foundation, lived in France as an Au Pair, has been a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Spain, and most recently is completing her Master of Education Policy and Management at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She is proficient in Spanish, French, and Portuguese. 

Daphne Flores, originally from New Jersey, is a senior at Rice University, majoring in political science, linguistics, and German tudies. An alum of SEEDS – Access Changes Everything, she returned to the organization as an advisor to the college scholars program to support high-achieving, low-income students in their journey to higher education. Daphne has also interned in the Press and Communications Office of the French Embassy in the United States and studied abroad in France and Germany. Daphne is proficient in Spanish, French, and German.   

Nina Forest is originally from Pocatello, Idaho. She graduated from University of California, Davis in June 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations. Nina studied abroad in France with a scholarship from the Embassy of France Cultural Services. She also served as a representative for the Miss America Organization and developed a passion for service and community development. Nina has worked for two U.S. Congressmen and currently works at New York PR firm, BerlinRosen. She is proficient in Mandarin. 

Melissa Flores is born and raised in Northern Virginia. She graduated from George Mason University in 2018 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a double minor in Spanish and Latin American Studies. Melissa is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Latin American Studies at Georgetown University.  Melissa worked at the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), which supports grassroots development in Latin America and the Caribbean, where she served as a Grants Management Specialist covering Brazil and UruguayMelissa interned at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) where she assisted the development team with their largest fundraising effort, the annual Human Rights Gala. Melissa speaks Spanish and Portuguese fluently. 

Breea Gould is a first-generation college graduate from New Orleans, Louisiana. She graduated from Louisiana State University’s Ogden Honors College in 2018 with bachelor’s degrees in international studies and history and minors in German and political science. As an undergraduate, she studied abroad as a Gilman Scholar at Philipps University in Marburg, Germany, and completed internships with the U.S. Embassy Berlin and the U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi. After graduating, she served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Thuringia, Germany. She is proficient in German.   

Chris Hernández-Turcios is a Guatemalan-American who seeks to explore issues related to violence and human displacement. He is a first-generation college student who received his bachelor’s degree in government and legal studies from Bowdoin College where he was actively involved in LGBTQ activism, Residential Life, and Peer Health.  He has spent the past few years working as a political analyst for the U.S. Government covering Latin American affairs. He is proficient in Spanish, Italian, and French. 

Ayele Kuevidjen is originally from Togo. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.A. in global studies. Ayele completed the Virtual Federal Student Service Internship with the U.S. Embassy in Niger. In that role, she mentored women entrepreneurs and advised Nigeriens high school students interested in studying abroad in the United States. She also studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic.  Her languages include French and Ewe. 

John Leake is from Memphis, Tennessee, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in Russian and Slavic studies from New York University. After graduating, he served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Kazan, Russia. In graduate school, John hopes to explore the intersection of public diplomacy and the post-Soviet space. He is proficient in Russian. 

Derrick McAllister, a native of Chicago, Illinois, graduated from Skidmore College in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and German with a minor in French. He spent three semesters abroad during his undergraduate career in London, U.K., Paris, France, and Freiburg, Germany. His languages include German, French, Italian, and Spanish. 

Natalie Medlock is from Wilmington, Delaware. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from the University of Delaware, she spent six months in Chile with the English Opens Doors Program. Natalie served in the Peace Corps Dominican Republic for two years, then worked for the University of Delaware’s Institute for Global Studies before pursuing a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Brazil. She is proficient in Spanish and Portuguese. 

Renelle Mensah, a Minneapolis, Minnesota native, is a senior at Cornell University, where she is majoring in government and a double minor in Arabic and French. She served was a Critical Language Scholar in Oman, a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, and served on the Board of Directors Co-President at Youthprise. Renelle has served as a volunteer English teaching assistant in Liberia and an Arabic teaching assistant with the Cornell Prison Education Program. She is proficient in Arabic, French, and Spanish. 

Piyusha Mittal was raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, where she focused on religion in society and advocated for interfaith cooperation. Piyusha taught English in Andorra on a Fulbright grant, learned Urdu in India as a Critical Language Scholar, studied global trends at Pew Research Center, and interned on Capitol Hill. Her languages include Spanish, French, Catalan, Hindu, and Urdu. 

Jessica Moore, originally from New York City, obtained her bachelor’s degree in political science and Latin American studies from Vanderbilt University. During her undergraduate career, she interned at the City Council of Medellin in Colombia and studied abroad in Santiago, Chile. Following graduation, Jessica taught English at a university in Quito, Ecuador for nearly a year. She is proficient in Spanish and Portuguese.  

Ashley Morefield, originally from Columbia, Maryland, graduated from Dickinson College with degrees in international studies and French and Francophone studies. She spent her junior year studying abroad in Toulouse, France where she studied at Institut d’Études Politiques de Toulouse. Following graduation, she spent a year in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant teaching English and American culture at Lycée Scientifique de Yamoussoukro. She is proficient in French. 

Oliver Osuna Hernandez was born and raised in San Diego, California and attended the University of California, Berkeley where he obtained a bachelor’s in history focused on Modern Latin America. Through different NGOs, Oliver has worked with Latin American asylum seekers in the United States and North Korean refugees within South Korea. Upon graduating, Oliver worked abroad in Seoul, South Korea in the private education sector where he helped expand educational accessibility for marginalized communities. He is proficient in Spanish and French. 

Isabella Paternostro, a native from Rockville, Maryland, obtained her bachelor’s degree in China and Asia-Pacific studies with a minor in international relations from Cornell University. Isabella has interned at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs, the Women’s Foreign Policy Group, and the Baturu Centre. She is proficient in Mandarin, Russian, and American Sign Language.  

Ameena Razzaque is from San Antonio, Texas and a senior at Dartmouth College. She is majoring in Women’s Health in the MENASA (Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian) region and Middle Eastern studies. Ameena studied abroad in Morocco and completed primary source archival research in Ireland and the United Kingdom as a Stamps Scholar. She has also completed several internships in the non-profit sector. Her languages include Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Modern Standard Arabic, and Darija.  

Christopher Rich grew up in Franklin, Massachusetts and majored in government with a double-minor in Arabic and Asian studies at St. Lawrence University. Before working with the Peace Corps in Morocco, he interned for the Jesuit Refugee Service in Ankara, Turkey and has studied as a student in Amman, Jordan, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Christopher has also worked with the Catholic Charities refugee resettlement program in Washington, D.C. His languages include Standard Arabic and Moroccan Arabic. 

Claudia Rivera Garcia is from Mexico and completed her bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University as a first-generation student in global studies, with a minor in Mandarin Chinese and a TESOL certificate. She has worked continuously with the Joaquin Bustoz Math-Science Honors Program, helping more than 100 underrepresented high-school students prepare for collegiate STEM careers. Additionally, Claudia has worked with EMILY’s List and participated in the McCain Institute’s Policy Design Studio. Her languages include Mandarin and Spanish. 

Jovany Romero is originally from South Central Los Angeles and completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, San Diego with a double major in political science and sociology with a focus on international relations. During his undergraduate studies, Jovany served as a Research Fellow for the U.S. Immigration Policy Center, where he researched U.S. policy effects amongst immigrants and refugee/asylum seekers. He was also a research apprentice for the sociology department at UCSD. He is fluent in Spanish. 

Saycocie Austin Santisouk was born and raised in West Michigan. His parents immigrated from Laos after the Vietnam War and settled in Holland, MI. Santisouk graduated on the dean’s list at Grand Valley State University and earned a B.A. in International Relations and Criminal Justice. After graduating, he immediately went abroad to teach English in Shiga Prefecture with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. During his time abroad, he participated in intercultural exchanges, practiced kickboxing, volunteered for the Shiga Association of JETs, and established a study abroad scholarship for Japanese high school students.

Abdulkadir Sharif graduated from Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a major in international relations and political science. He was a Boren Scholar in Tanzania, a Gilman Scholar in South Africa and Namibia, and participated in the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowship at Princeton University. He has interned with the Namibia Institute for Democracy as a research assistant and interned at the Minnesota State Capitol as a legislative assistant. Abdulkadir is proficient in Somali and Swahili. 

Betty Thai, born and raised in Los Angeles, is a senior double majoring in political science and East Asian languages and cultures as well as pursuing master studies in legal studies at the University of Southern California. Her journey towards a Foreign Service career began with personal experiences of translating for her parents since she was a child, which eventually led her to intern at the Neighborhood Legal Services helping non-native speakers navigate the criminal expungement process. She is proficient in Mandarin.  

Cameron Vega is a third-generation Arizonan completing his undergraduate education in classics and political science at Arizona State University. He has previously interned in the Office of UN Political Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Cameron is an undergraduate fellow at the Melikian Center and New America’s Center on the Future of War and a former fellow at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict and Barrett, the Honors College. His languages include Spanish and Serbo-Croatian.  

Brittney Vevaina was born and raised in San Diego. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and she studied abroad at the University for Peace in San Jose, Costa Rica. She has more than seven years of combined experience improving the effectiveness of federal agencies at Booz Allen Hamilton and the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service. Her languages include Spanish. 

Abigail Wei completed her bachelor’s degree at Vanderbilt University and grew up in Maryland. As an undergraduate, she spent a summer living among and volunteering in Delhi’s Afghan refugee community. She moved to Delhi after college to work at a data-tech startup and is currently on the Talent team at Sidewalk Labs. Her languages include Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, and Spanish. 

Mona Zahir is a graduate of Winston-Salem State University where she served as the 2016 to 2017 Student Body President and as an HBCU White House All-Star Ambassador. She has seven years of international experience having traveled to eleven countries. As a former teacher, Mona loves to encourage young students the value of self-discovery and global awareness through traveling. She is proficient in Arabic, Amharic, and French. 

Top

2020 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Fellowship Program Fellow Snapshots

On November 7, the 2020 Pickering Fellowship selection panel chose 30 2020 Pickering Fellows. All accepted the fellowship offer. The selection panel was extremely impressed by the new fellows’ experiences, leadership, and commitment to a Foreign Service career. The program received 844 applications, and the selection process was highly competitive. 

Christie Charles is a Haitian American born and raised in Connecticut and Georgia and received her B.A. in International Business from Howard University. During her studies, she studied abroad in Grenoble, France, as a Gilman Scholar. After graduating, Christie served in the Peace Corps as an Education Volunteer. Following her service, she was the recipient of a Fulbright grant to teach English in Côte d’Ivoire. For the past few years, she has worked in the Washington, DC area in grants management. Christie’s languages include Haitian Creole and French.

Shirin Vetry graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in political science and minors in international development and French. Shirin’s experiences include piloting a social enterprise in France with Middle Eastern refugees, implementing an anti-radicalization project at the International Organization for Migration in Uganda, and creating a non-profit for sustainable fashion designers in Colombia during her Fulbright grant. Her languages include Spanish, French, Persian, and Luganda.

Top

2019 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Fellowship Program Fellow Snapshots

On November 16, the 2019 Pickering Fellowship selection panel chose 30 2019 Pickering Fellows. All accepted the fellowship offer. The selection panel was extremely impressed by the new fellows’ experiences, leadership, and commitment to a Foreign Service career. The program received 822 applications, and the selection process was highly competitive. 

Jawaad Ali graduated summa cum laude from George Mason University with his bachelor’s degree in global affairs concentrating on the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia in 2014. He served as a Consular Applications Training Instructor for the Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute and as a Program Support Specialist within the Office of Criminal Justice Assistance and Partnership (CAP). Currently, he is provides training to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services staff. His languages include Dari, Pashto, and Urdu.

Erin Bourque will graduate from Northeastern University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and political science with minors in Russian language and history. As a recipient of the David L. Boren Scholarship and the Department of State’s Critical Language and National Security Language Initiative for Youth Scholarships, she has lived and studied in Kazakhstan and Russia. In graduate school, Erin hopes to further explore the intersection of security/resilience studies and post-Soviet space. She is proficient in Russian.

Adriana Bowman will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Chinese from the University of South Carolina in 2019. She has studied in Chengdu, China through the Gilman Scholarship and in Shanghai, China where she studied economics, political science, and Chinese, and in Xi’an, China through the CLS Program. Currently, Adriana is studying Hindi, economics, and political science in India on the Boren Scholarship for nine months. Her languages include Chinese and Hindi.

Ashley Brooks is a self-proclaimed Washingtonian, though she has lived all over the world including Nigeria, Morocco, Jordan, Honduras, and Peru. She will graduate from the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish, and minors in Arabic and Portuguese. Ashley has interned in the House of Representatives and been awarded a CLS Program and Boren Scholarship to study Arabic. She currently works as an undergraduate researcher at the University of Miami Department of Political Science. Her languages include Arabic, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Trisha Camara is a Milwaukee native and a senior studying political science and government at Loyola University Chicago. As a student, she has had the opportunity to intern for the Anti-Defamation League, U.S. Senator Richard Durbin, Local 881 United Food and Commercial Workers Union, and as an education policy research intern for a school network in Chicago. Trisha is currently an intern for the Legal Services Corporation in Washington, D.C.Her languages include French, Spanish, and German.

Jordana “Monet” Clarke was born in Jamaica and raised in Windsor, Connecticut. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Harvard College in 2017 where she majored in East Asian Studies. Most recently, Monet spent a year in Nanjing studying Sino-American relations at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. Jordana hopes to enroll in Georgetown’s MASIA program. In addition to being fluent in Mandarin Chinese, her languages also include Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

Alina Clough graduated in 2018 from Westminster College with a bachelor’s degree in international politics. During her undergraduate studies, she served as a Congress-Bundestag Fellow, where she volunteered with refugees and researched economics at a think tank in Berlin, strengthening her Germanic language skills.

Bryan Cronan, Jr. is originally from Griffin, Georgia and graduated with a B.A. in international studies and journalism from Emory University. After graduating, he received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Northern Malaysia. Bryan is now working in Washington D.C. at The McManus Group, a health care policy firm and has previously worked as a reporter at several media outlets, including The Christian Science Monitor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Atlanta Magazine. His languages include French, Wolof, and Malay.

Brandy Darling is a native of Chicago, Illinois. She is a current senior and double major in economics and East Asian studies with a minor in applied statistics at Connecticut College. She has interned at the African Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, China and also studied at the Harbin Institute of Technology where she researched Sino-African Relations. Brandy aspires to continue working on her research in graduate school at the Monterey Institute where she plans to study International Trade and Economic Diplomacy. 

J. Ashley Fox is a West Virginia native and obtained bachelor’s degrees in political science and international studies, with minors in English and philosophy from West Virginia University in 2013. She previously served as press assistant to Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), communications and digital content coordinator at the Center for International Private Enterprise, and digital media coordinator at the Brookings Institution. Ashley plans to attend a public policy program, with an emphasis on technology policy. Her languages include Spanish and Dutch.

Catherine Haseman is currently studying Arabic and Middle East Studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas and will graduate in 2019. On campus, she served on the Baylor Migration Project Team, developing local projects to assist unaccompanied minors from Central America. Additionally, Catherine has volunteered in refugee communities in Greece, Jordan, and the Palestinian Territories. In graduate school, Catherine hopes to study public policy with a focus on global affairs. She is proficient in Arabic.

Zhanna Imel, born in Kazakhstan, graduated Magna Cum Laude with her bachelor’s in international business from Fort Lewis College in Colorado in 2018. As an undergraduate, Zhanna has served in various capacities such as Orientation Leader, Junior Admission Counselor, and Vice-President of the International Club. She also developed and participated in her own study abroad program in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She is proficient in Russian.

Christian Jacobson will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Japanese Studies Minor from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in December 2018. Christian has served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard since 2013. Christian has also participated in an exchange in Tokyo, a language internship program in Nagasaki, and several other volunteer teaching roles in Japan. Christian participated in an internship for the Viessmann Group’s Digital Innovation Management team in Germany. His languages include Japanese and Tagalog.

Quimberly Jasso is from Houston, Texas and studied international relations and global studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She has participated in both the CLS Program to study mandarin in Dalian, China, and the U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program to intern at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through the U.S. Department of State. Her languages include Mandarin and Spanish.

Matthew Jernstedt is a proud senior at Arizona State University, where he will obtain a degree in Political Science. He was the recipient of the prestigious Gilman fellowship in 2016 and studied European integration in the Czech Republic. In 2018, Matthew interned on Capitol Hill while studying under two ambassadors in the McCain Institute Policy Design Studio. He is proficient in Mandarin Chinese.

Bethany Johnson, born and raised in San Diego, CA, moved to Northern California to attend the California State University Maritime Academy. She will obtain her bachelor’s degree in global studies and maritime affairs with minors in law and marine science in 2019. Bethany has held internship positions at the Institute of Global Conflict and Cooperation and the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Her languages include Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.

Spencer King is from Independence, Oregon but grew up for most of his life in Kijabe, Kenya. In 2019, he will graduate from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania with his bachelor’s degree in international affairs and economics and a minor in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and Peace and Justice Studies. He has spent extensive time abroad including his time in Kenya, an internship in Morocco, study abroad in Jordan, and language study in Oman with both the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center’s SALAM program and CLS Program. Spence is proficient in Arabic.

Samantha Ku received her bachelor’s degree in political science with honors from the University of California, Irvine in 2018 where she had an emphasis in international relations and a minor in conflict resolution. Samantha was a Global Terrorism Database research intern at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism and also served as the nuclear non-proliferation intern at the United Nations House Scotland. Currently, Samantha interns in APCO Worldwide’s Global Solutions practice. Her languages include Mandarin Chinese and French.

Javan Latson is a proud Commodore, currently attending Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee where he is studying human and organizational development with a concentration in international leadership and development and minoring in political science. During his time at Vanderbilt, Javan was a research fellow for the Latin American Public Opinion Project, helped promote literacy in Metro Nashville, and served as a client advocate at the Tennessee Justice Center. His languages include Spanish, French, and Darija.

Aleia Maculam received her Bachelor’s in Near Eastern Studies and Civilizations from the University of Chicago. During her undergraduate career, she undertook intensive Arabic study in the region, spending a semester in Cairo, Egypt, and a year in Rabat, Morocco as a Boren Scholar. After graduating, Aleia returned to Morocco to teach English at the American Language Center in Tangier. She currently works with the U.S. Department of Defense, where she supports initiatives that promote study abroad and critical language and culture acquisition. Her languages include Moroccan Arabic, Arabic, and Spanish.

Maria Moscoso, born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, was raised in Miami, Florida. She graduated cum laude from Smith College in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a minor in Global South development studies. Her recent experiences include fellowships with the Salzburg Global Seminar in Austria, the Atlantic Expedition in Germany, and the KAKEHASHI Bridge Project in Japan, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Maria is currently a Program Specialist for Stabilization and Development with Creative Associates International. Her languages include Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

Bridget Nicholas from Covington, Kentucky and graduated from the University of Kentucky with degrees in Chinese studies and international studies with a minor in French studies. Currently, she is a 2018-2019 Princeton in Asia Fellow serving in a new post with the Dunhuang Research Academy in China. During her undergraduate career, Bridget participated in the CLS Program in Changchun, China, and studied at the Inter-University Program for Chinese Studies and the Mandarin Training Center. Her languages include Mandarin Chinese, French, and Russian.

Ruth Ann Philip makes her official residence in Frisco, Texas, but she has grown up in India, the U.A.E., South Korea, and California. She will receive her bachelor’s degree in international relations and a minor in French from Oral Roberts University. Ruth Ann has worked as a marketing intern with a nonprofit law firm focusing on religious freedom, tutored middle and high school aged Burmese and Syrian refugees, and volunteered for Senator Van Taylor. Currently, she is a Diplomatic intern with the Kurdistan Regional Government Representation. Her languages include Malayalam, French, and Spanish.

Sofia Ramirez graduated summa cum laude in 2017 from the University of San Diego with a degree in international relations and Asian studies. Sofia studied Chinese in Taiwan through the CLS Program and had the opportunity to intern for Congressman Scott Peters. After graduating, she worked as a Research Associate for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City. Sofia speaks Spanish, Chinese, and Portuguese, and plans to study international trade and development in graduate school.

Melissa Rubalcava is from Tucson, Arizona and graduated from the University of Arizona as a first-generation student with a B.A. in political science with an emphasis in international relations, and a minor in Middle Eastern and Northern Africana Studies. She has interned for several organizations including the Police Reform Organizing Project. Melissa is passionate about the advocacy of human and labor rights throughout Latin America. She is proficient in Spanish.

Charles Santiago was raised in central Florida and southern North Carolina. In 2016, he completed a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and a minor in Russian Language at George Washington University. During his undergrad career, Charles participated in internships with the Community of Democracies for the Leaders Engaged in New Democracies initiative, the AIESEC in Kazakhstan, and the e-Governance Academy in Estonia. After his undergraduate studies, Charles served two years with the Peace Corps in Ukraine. His languages include Russian, Ukrainian, and Spanish.

Marshall Sherrell attended the University of Washington-Seattle Campus where he graduated bachelor’s degrees in Japanese and Creative Writing in 2018. While a student, he participated in the CLS Program to Japan in 2017 and studied at Keio University. While in Japan, Marshall wrote English-language articles for two Japanese publications: Japan Spotlight, of the Japan Economic Foundation, and Samurai Meetups, a nonprofit organization focused on facilitating cultural exchanges between Japanese people and visitors from abroad. He is proficient in Japanese.

Oluwasimidele Shonibare, known by many as Lola, grew up in Columbus, Atlanta, and Lagos. She graduated from Rutgers University, New Brunswick in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in public health and a certificate in health disparities. Previously, she worked as an intern at the Center for Humanitarian Emergencies and Hubert Department of Global Health, an intern with the Middlesex County Office of Health Services, and fundraising and Event Planning Officer for the G.O.Y.A. Project. After graduation, Lola served as an AmeriCorps member in California. Her languages include Yoruba and French.

Lucia Solorzano is from Amherst, Massachusetts and graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University in 2017 with a degree in political economics and a minor in Spanish and Latin American Cultures. Currently, she is the Public Partnerships Officer for Asia and Latin America at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Lucia has also interned at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New York City Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, and Girls Incorporated. Her languages include Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian.

Samantha Tafoya will complete her undergraduate degree at the University of Arkansas in 2018 with bachelor’s degrees in political science, journalism, African and African-American studies, and a minor in anthropology. Samantha has experience working on West and East African programs for Search for Common Ground and implementing youth development programs for a local NGO and writing political news stories for the Sunday Times in Cape Town, South Africa. Her languages include French, Spanish, and Zulu.

Estrella Vargas will complete her undergraduate studies at Elmhurst College in 2018 with bachelor’s degrees in Political Science, Urban Studies with a specific focus in Public Administration, and Intercultural and International Studies. She has worked on campaigns for Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman-Elect Sean Casten, and State Representative Deb Conroy. Estrella plans to pursue a Master’s in Public Administration at American University. She is proficient in Spanish.

Sasha Whitley is from Concord, North Carolina and attends Vanderbilt University where she will receive a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and another in Medicine, Health, and Society in 2019. Sasha studied abroad in Vienna, Austria where she completed an internship with Radio Afrika. Currently, she is a Program Assistant with the Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth in Nashville, Tennessee. Her languages include Spanish and German.

Nasir Wilson is from Delaware and is currently at the University of Delaware double majoring in political science and criminal justice and double minoring in Africana studies and legal studies. Currently, he works for the Department of State processing and responding to global non-FOIA legal demands and special projects in Information Programs and Services. Nasir previously interned at the US Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency creating the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) College Outreach Framework (COF). He is proficient in Spanish.

Top