8th Annual APSIA Forum Inspires Students and Young Professionals

On July 13, 2024, we welcomed 43 undergraduates and young professionals from backgrounds historically excluded from international affairs to the Eighth Annual APSIA Forum.

Briana Suarez, APSIA’s International Admissions & Operations Manager (GWU Elliott School Alumna), kicked off the day with a brief welcome and overview of the day.

After taking a group photo, Dana Banks, Senior Advisor to the US-Africa Business Center at the US Chamber of Commerce (Syracuse Maxwell School Alumna), Mehreen Farooq, Governance Technical Expert at Counterpart International (American Univ. SIS Alumna), and Veronica Valdez, Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense at the US Department of Defense (UCSD GPS Alumna), sat with moderator Hadeil Ali, Director, Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (Georgetown SFS Alumna), to discuss challenges and insights from their careers in international affairs.

Panelists discussed the reality of under-representation in their work environments but encouraged attendees to focus on lifting up worthy ideas and being competent in one’s own work. They also advised attendees to build transferable skills, including excellent writing, critical thinking, and attention to detail. During Q&A’s, the panelists helped attendees better understand when is a good time to attend graduate school, as well as what strong leadership looks like professionally.

The next session connected twelve alumni with attendees for small, personal conversations. Dispersed among six roundtables, attendees asked alumni to reflect on their graduate school experiences and professional paths since earning their degree. Alumni shared insights on the importance of mentorship, honing networking skills, and approaching challenging work environments with grace. Alumni included

Lalitha Adury, Chief of Staff, Policy Planning Staff, US Department of State (Tufts Fletcher School Alumna)

Darryl Alexander, Legislative Assistant for Senator Peter Welch, United States Senate (Yale Jackson School Alumnus)

Jimmy Anderson, Associate Partner, IBM (American Univ. SIS Alumnus)

Elana Aquino, Former Executive Director, Peace Direct (Johns Hopkins SAIS Alumna)

Brandy Darling, Associate, The Asia Group (Johns Hopkins SAIS Alumna)

Diana Hajali, International Trade Specialist, US Department of Commerce (Texas A&M Bush School Alumna)

Evan Johnson, Eurasia Desk Officer, US Department of Commerce (Univ. of Pittsburgh GSPIA Alumnus)

Uchenna Mbawuike, Management Analyst, US Agency for International Development (Univ. of Pittsburgh GSPIA Alumna)

Channa McCord, Alumna, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (Johns Hopkins SAIS Alumna)

Daniel Mejia, Program Manager, Climate & Environment, The Associated Press (Princeton SPIA Alumnus)

Simone Williams, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, Biological Defense Programs, US Department of Defense (American Univ. SIS Alumna)

Natividad Zavala, International Relations Specialist, US Department of Labor (Univ. of Pittsburgh GSPIA Alumnus)

APSIA finished the day with a Round Robin session during which groups of students rotated tables to hear from speakers about a variety of professional topics:

Exequiel Caceres, Lebanon Desk Officer at the US Agency for International Development (Tufts Fletcher School Alumnus), and Adriel Taslim, Action Officer at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (UCSD GPS Alumna), shared advice on how students and young professionals can obtain international experience through jobs, internships, and fellowships.

Dineo Brinson, Academic Exchange Specialist for the Fulbright Program at the US Department of State (Georgetown SFS Alumna), and Xinyan Guo, Senior Business Development Manager at RTI International (Univ. of Pittsburgh GSPIA Alumna), guided students through ways they can channel their global interests into a career.

Andrea Chang, Graduate Admissions Officer at George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs (GWU Elliott School Alumna), and Michael Massad, Director of Admissions at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs, discussed when and how students should consider applying to graduate school.

Sidney T. Jackson, Assistant Dean of Global Enrollment & Recruitment at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and Danae Williams, Director of Recruitment and Admissions at University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, talked through how students can be competitive applicants for graduate school admissions and how to finance their education.

Myles Ibanez, Geopolitical Risk Analyst at Octant Associates, LLC, shared networking strategies and practices that students should develop as students to succeed in professional environments.

Tania Smith, Manager, Portfolio Investments at New Profit (Tufts Fletcher Alumna), introduced attendees to specific networking practices that they should employ as new professionals.

Attendees had great things to say about the day:

“Being a second-year student, I know that I need to grow and strengthen my networking skills, contact list, and engage with my contemporaries as well as… established professionals. This forum allowed me to accomplish all of these goals; hence, I am grateful for the invitation that was extended to me,” said student Yaa Bosi.

One recent graduate noted, “It was great to be in that environment and meet so many established professionals in IA. I was also able to talk about grad school as well which was great, and I took a lot of notes on advice each professional gave.”

Alumni enjoyed the experience, too:

“It was great to connect with some outstanding students and peers over the roundtable discussions,” wrote Exequiel Caceres.

Afterwards, Dana Banks shared, “It was an impressive group of students, as were my fellow co-panelists Veronica and Mehreen and our wonderful moderator Hadeil!

Alumnus Jimmy Anderson also said "Leaving with a refreshed sense of optimism after spending my Saturday morning leading a roundtable for the next generation of international affairs leaders at Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA). This forum for students and young professionals continues to bridge the gap between early, midcareer, and seasoned international affairs professionals."

The 2024 Student and Young Professional Workshop is made possible with support from: