Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards (OMSFA)

I am a third-year student majoring in Global and Regional Studies with a concentration in Africa and Health & the Environment and minors in French and Global Health. I have studied abroad in Greece, Switzerland, and Morocco, and interned at the International Rescue Committee. I want to combine my strong interest in international relations and migration with my passion for environmental sustainability. After studying the French language for seven years, the Boren African Flagship Language Initiative (AFLI) offered the perfect opportunity to improve my fluency in an African Francophone environment while being exposed to Wolof, the local language. As climate change presents intensified environmental and social consequences to Sub-Saharan Africa, studying in Senegal will allow me to observe the impacts of environmental challenges on local populations and the innovative solutions created to address them. Additionally, I expect to gain a critical understanding of the flow of migrants and refugees through the Sahel region and how it impacts foreign policy. Upon returning to the U.S., I hope to utilize my cultural literacy and knowledge of the French language to begin a federal career aimed at promoting collaborative relationships between international actors to address environmental protection and climate migration. After graduating from UW, I plan to attend graduate school and fulfill the service requirement with a position at the Department of State.