Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards (OMSFA)

My time at the University of Washington has consisted of identifying who I am as a leader, my future goals, and how I want to reach them. Following my undergraduate studies, I plan to pursue a Master of Public Administration or Policy. I have found that my Political Science and International Studies majors, along with my Leadership minor have provided me the contextual and theoretical background to create more equitable and accessible pathways towards civic engagement.

By putting my education into practice, I previously served as the UW Residential Community Student Association Director of Communications and as a UW NextGen Civic Leaders Corp Student Advisor. My role within NextGen has also been supported by the Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship as I have assisted in fostering the growth of the program. Within both roles, I learned the importance of civic engagement and am actively learning about how I hope to pursue a career in public service. During Summer 2024, I got the opportunity to participate in the Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. There I was able to learn about the importance of quantitative and qualitative skills as they apply to policy making, and have continued to do so in the Center for American Politics and Public Policy Fellowship.

I chose to apply to the Gaither Junior Fellowship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace because I believe it would help me grow in areas I am aspiring to strengthen. As I hope to have an active role in program development and the implementation of policy in my future career, I see the Gaither Fellowship as an opportunity to learn what this looks like in practice. I would encourage people with similar interests to take the opportunity to apply and please reach out if I can offer any advice on this application process or others.