The Washington Center Announces the 2018 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellows

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is pleased to announce the selection of the 2018 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellows.  Thirty Graduate Fellowships were awarded to a group of highly competitive candidates. Hundreds of applicants from over 200 colleges and universities competed for this distinguished fellowship.

Managed and funded by the Department of State and administered by The Washington Center, the Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship offers talented students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to pursue a career in the U.S. Foreign Service. Consideration is given to qualified applicants who, in addition to outstanding leadership skills and academic achievement, demonstrate financial need. Women, members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, and students with financial need are encouraged to apply.

Recipients of the Pickering Fellowship receive two years of financial support, mentoring and professional development to prepare them for a career in the Foreign Service. Fellows also complete a domestic internship at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. and an overseas internship at a U.S. embassy.

The 2018 Pickering Fellows hail from 26 academic institutions, including HBCUs, state and private universities.  Their majors range from Political Science and Philosophy to Art History and African Studies.  Through academic and public service activities, these students have traversed the globe, spending time in numerous places from Afghanistan to Cuba, Malawi to Nepal.  Collectively, they speak over 20 languages including Hindi, Norwegian, Arabic, and American Sign Language.  These accomplished students hail from 19 states and the District of Columbia.  Prior to becoming Fellows, they worked in a wide range of fields, including academic research, local and federal government, private companies, international development, and NGOs.

The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program honors one of the most accomplished U.S. Foreign Service Officers of the 20^th century. Ambassador Pickering was appointed Career Ambassador, the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service. He served in many leading positions around the world during his Foreign Service career, including Ambassador to Nigeria, El Salvador, Israel, India and Russia. Ambassador Pickering concluded his career as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

“The Washington Center is honored and excited to be administering such a distinguished program for the third year in a row,” said Chris Norton, president of The Washington Center.

The 22nd Cohort of Pickering Graduate Fellows:

• Ms. Stephanie Arzate, Georgetown University
• Ms.  Nicole Bermudez, Bates College
• Ms.  Anastasia Burnett, Georgetown University
• Ms.  Jennifer Cardoza, Northern Arizona University
• Ms.  Valli Chidambaram, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Mr. Eric Chu, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
• Ms.  Hannah Clager, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Ms.  Caroline Corcoran, University of Texas at Austin
• Ms.  Taylor Demons, Baylor University
• Ms.  Kayla Evans, Spelman College
• Ms.  Renee Garcia-Tolson, University of California, Berkeley
• Ms.  Ashley Jones-Quaidoo, Bucknell University
• Ms.  Anna Jozwik, Northwestern University
• Ms.  Palak Khanna, Tufts University
• Ms.  Caroline Lanford, Tulane University
• Mr. Jakob Lengacher, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Ms.  Jeanette Martinez, California State University – San Bernardino
• Ms.  Sophia Meulenberg, Westmont College
• Mr.  Erick Murrer, Western Kentucky University
• Ms.  Jaewon Oh, Middlebury College
• Mr.  Blake Osborne, Clark Atlanta University
• Ms.  Gricelda Ramos, Dartmouth College
• Ms.  Jade Rhoads, Syracuse University
• Ms.  Maggie Samuels, Hampshire College
• Ms.  Manna Selassie, Occidental College
• Ms.  Katherine Shafer, Elon University
• Mr.  Hainer Sibrian, Georgia State University
• Ms.  Nancy Talamantes, University of Southern California
• Ms.  Yassitoungou Tamdji, Georgetown University
• Mr. Benjamin Troupe, University of Kentucky

Visit the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship page for more information.

About the Author

The Washington Center is the largest and most established student internship program in Washington, D.C. Since our founding, we've helped more than 60,000 individuals from across the U.S. and around the globe expand their academic pursuits into rewarding jobs and careers. We use our scale and expertise to deliver solutions that open career pathways for learners, solve recruitment challenges for employers, while helping create greater access, equity, advancement and representation.

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