2015 Alumni Newsletter copy(1) - Federal Semester

SPRING 2015
ISSUE 2
F E D E R A L & G LO BA L T I M E S
Connecting Federal Semester and Global Semester Alumni Since 2014
SPRING 2015
1: LETTER FROM THE
ALUMNI BOARD
PRESIDENT
Alumni Board President Lauren
Greeley welcomes readers to the
program’s large and engaged alumni
network
2: YOUNG ALUM
SPOTLIGHT
Program alumnus Aisha Hassan,
analyst at HHS and MBA student,
talks about what it means to be a
leader and how to make the most
of opportunities in the workplace
3: PROGRAMS BY THE
NUMBERS
Get a snapshot of where students
are interning, what majors these
students study, and the growing size
of the alumni network
4: STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Spend a day in the life of Foreign
Services Institute intern and 2015
UMD senior Coreene White
FACULTY PROFILE
Get to know David Galbraith,
veteran of the State Department,
and Global Semester instructor
Letter from the Alumni Board President
Lauren Greeley
Dear Talented and Engaged Alumni,
First of all, congratulations to all the new
2015 alumni of the Federal and Global
Semester Programs! I hope that each of
you found your cohort programs to be
fulfilling, challenging, and
unforgettable.
My time with the Federal
Semester Program in Homeland
Security Policy was nothing short
of an incredible learning
experience. It was filled with
countless lessons on the art of
networking, the importance of
both academic and workplace
professionalism, and some extraordinary
introductions to government service, where
I've happily dedicated my first years in the
workforce. I can assure you that you have
just graduated from a life-changing
program—one with a unique and
meaningful impact that you will be hardpressed to leave behind.
Thank you all so very much for your
dedication to the Federal and Global
Semester Program, and as always, please do
not hesitate to contact me or our Board
members and staff with anything that's on
your mind. Hope to see you all soon!
Lauren Greeley
President, Federal and Global Semester
Alumni Board
As the President of the Federal and Global
Semester Alumni Board, it is my hope that
each of you found substance and value in
FEDERAL AND GLOBAL SEMESTER D.C. STAFF
5: FEATURED SCHOLARS
Gain a glimpse of the awards
recently received by the programs’
students and alumni
your respective Federal or Global Semester
programs and might be willing to share
some of your new-found wisdom with your
fellow alumni, as well as the next class of
incoming students this Fall. The Alumni
Board would love to hear your feedback
on ways that we can expand and truly
make the most of our Alumni Network,
while also giving back to the program by
mentoring and guiding its new students.
For starters, we would love to see all of
you this summer for an Alumni gettogether to catch up, strategize, and kick
off a wonderful summer season together!
Please join us at Cities Restaurant and
Lounge in Washington DC on July 23rd
(see details on page 6!).
Dr. Joan Burton
Director
6: ALUMNI EVENTS &
PHOTOS
Learn about the programs’ alumni
board and ways to get involved!
2407 MARIE MOUNT HALL, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Tommy Minter
Student Assistant
Jay Arasan
Coordinator
WWW.FEDERALSEMESTER.UMD.EDU
Brendan Butler
Graduate Assistant
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FEDERAL & GLOBAL TIMES ISSUE II
Aisha
poses with
the
President
SPRING 2015
Young Alumna
Spotlight
Aisha Hassan, Policy Analyst, HHS
How have you been able to obtain
employment?
there is an opportunity to lead a project, make
My first job out of college was a “Program
Analyst” position at HHS in the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Health. I landed an
interview because of my
internship position at HHS
at the time. Talking with
people in various
government offices helped
me figure out what offices I
wanted to work in, and
helped me narrow my job
search when I was looking
for new opportunities.
to that challenge, accept it, and then run with
How did your Federal
Semester experience
prepare you to take on
post-graduate life?
The Federal Semester’s
training has been
invaluable. We learn
a presentation, brief a senior leader, etc., rise
it. You’ll figure out how to use your subject
matter expertise and apply it to that particular
challenge. And, you’ll be
surprised at the turn out
you have. Take initiative,
and work hard and smart.
If you see something that
can be done differently,
take the initiative to draft
up a briefing, flow chart,
action plan, etc. on
how to tackle that
problem differently.
“Don’t be afraid to take
risks…Take initiative,
work hard, and work
smart.”
important tangible skills
(e.g. how to write a resume) and intangible
skills (e.g. talking with people, navigating a few
simultaneous internship opportunities
ethically). I still implement many of the skills I
learned during the program in my current
work situations. Overall, the program helped
me learn how to think strategically about what
internships and job positions I wanted to
pursue, and why I wanted to pursue them.
What advice would you give to young
professionals?
Don’t be afraid to take risks. I’ve learned that
ABOUT AISHA
From your perspective,
what does it take to
be a young leader?
h
Have confidence in
yourself and your
capabilities. Often, I talk with individuals who
are smart, work hard, and analytical in their
approach to problem solving and decisionmaking. However, they lack the confidence to
GRADUATION YEAR:
2011
MAJOR:
Community Health
FEDERAL SEMESTER
CONCENTRATION:
Health Policy
INTERNSHIP SITE:
National Institute of Health,
National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases
CURRENT OCCUPATION
Policy Analyst at HHS,
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Preparedness
and Response, Division of
Health System
MBA Student, UMD
What’s something you wish you had
known five years ago?
propose new projects or volunteer to lead
I wish I had known the importance of
initiatives for their offices. It is important to
building a personal brand beyond the
have faith in your abilities. Knowing when to
day-to-day work environment. This
ask for help is also imperative in being a
includes publishing journal articles,
leader. Early on in any organization, you
blog posts, etc. that bolster content
should identify the skills and expertise of
building and helping to establish
those on your team and elsewhere in the
credentials as a subject matter expert
organization. Request help from those
in particular areas. I’m now beginning
individuals who have skills and expertise that
to explore opportunities for publishing
will bolster the success for your project.
various literature pieces.
we need to give ourselves more credit – if
2407 MARIE MOUNT HALL, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
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FEDERAL & GLOBAL TIMES ISSUE II
SPRING 2015
P ROG RA MS B Y T H E
NUMBERS
A quantitative breakdown of the Federal Semester and Global Semester programs, 2006-present
Popular Student
Majors
10.3%
4.5%
5.7%
FEDERAL & GLOBAL
SEMESTER
NETWORK
30.2%
7.5%
7.7%
8.2%
590+
13.5%
12.5%
Program Alumni and
Current Students
Government & Politics: 30.2%
Arts & Humanities: 12.5%
Criminology & Criminal Justice: 7.7%
Economics: 5.7%
Other: 10.3%
Hard Sciences: 13.5%
Environmental Studies: 8.2%
Health-Related Fields: 7.5%
Business: 4.5%
09
Top Agency Placements
150+
Different Internship
Locations
Number of Students
80
4
64
Program Staff & Assistants
48
32
16
75
67
51
33
31
17
0
Department of Homeland Security
Congress
Department of Health and Human Services
State Department (12 students in 2014-15!)
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of Energy
2407 MARIE MOUNT HALL, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
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FEDERAL & GLOBAL TIMES ISSUE II
SPRING 2015
2 0 15 St u de n t S po t lig h t :
U.S. Department of Stat e In tern Coreen e W hite
Major: Chinese Graduating Class: 2015
Internship Location: Foreign Services Institute, School of Languages
What is your office’s mission?
What has been the most helpful aspect of the Global Semester
I am working in the East Asian and Pacific Languages Office.
This office works to make sure that Foreign Service Officers
(though there are others, such as spouses) obtain the language
skills needed to effectively do their jobs overseas. I specifically
work with the Lao and Thai section. program for you?
What’s something most people don’t know about interning at
the Foreign Services Institute?
As an intern, you have a lot of access to the same resources staff
does. I was able to get a free subscription to Mango Languages
through State. Also, there is a library that you have access to—
the computers there have access to paid subscriptions such as
Foreign Policy Magazine.
What has been the most rewarding part of your internship?
The Global Semester program has really great staff that is really
willing to help you. One thing I found particularly helpful was
the Partnership for Public Service’s information session on
USAJOBS. I can honestly say I’ve really mastered the site now.
What do you think makes the Global Semester program unique?
What makes the Global Semester program unique is that it
brings together a lot of like-minded people who have similar
goals. I really think it is especially unique in that it helps people
who have maybe never gotten federal/NGO/think tank
experience, and promotes their self-development in a way that
allows them to get that experience.
The most rewarding part of my internship has been the sense
that I am actually helping the office’s mission. I’ve also been able
to practice Chinese with the language instructors in the office.
Fa c u l t y P r o f i l e : D av i d G a l b r a i t h
U.S. Department of State; U.S. Diplomacy and Policymaking Instructor
What is your current job, and how did you arrive there?
I'm a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. Right now, I'm studying
Burmese in advance of an assignment as a political officer at the
U.S. Embassy in Rangoon. To say how I arrived here might be a
bit like peeling an onion, but perhaps the shortest answer is that
after I finished graduate school I looked for a job that combined
serving my country with the opportunity to live in and learn
about other cultures, and I chose the Foreign Service.
How, in your opinion, does the
Federal/Global Semester program
prepare students for a career in
public service?
In many ways. The internship is a
great way to explore public service;
I hope that my class and other
seminars gave students a broad
perspective on opportunities for public service, inside
What was your first professional job?
government and outside; and the program's focus on networking
I worked as a consultant for two small environmental consulting
is a great asset.
companies shortly after finishing my undergraduate degree in
biology. We helped our clients find ways to better manage their
How did you find teaching at the University of Maryland?
environmental impacts. Some of my work was in Mexico and
Well, to be honest, I didn't know what to expect, as this was my
Peru, and that experience led me to study international
first significant experience at a large state school. It was great.
economics in graduate school.
The students were engaged, came to class prepared, and put a
lot of effort into improving their writing. I look forward to
What advice do you have for young professionals today?
keeping in touch with them and the Federal/Global Semester
Try things out, learn from your experiences, always do the best
you can, but don't feel like you need to find exactly the right job
or sector right away.
2407 MARIE MOUNT HALL, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
program.
WWW.FEDERALSEMESTER.UMD.EDU
WWW.GLOBALSEMESTERDC.UMD.EDU
FEDERAL & GLOBAL TIMES ISSUE II
SPRING 2015
F E AT U R E D S C H O L A R S
Sampling of Awards Recently Received by Students and Alumni
L au ra G ar vie
C ri tic al L an gu ag e Sc h ola rs hi p
Malang, Indonesia S a r a h B r ow n
D a v i d L . B o re n S c h o l a r s h i p
Meknes, Morocco Emily Snider
Er ne s t F. Holli ng s S c hol ar s h ip
C a m To r r e o n
R a n g e l I n t e r n a t i o n a l A ff a i r s F e l l o w s h i p
l
Aar on Bh att
R a n g e l S u m m e r E n r i c h m e n t P ro g r a m
l
S h a n e Fa l c i n e l l i
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
Erin Hylton
Marshall Scholarship
l
S a r a h a n n Ye h
U S F orei gn S e r vi ce In t er n shi p P rogr am
Nathan Hurwitz
l
P re si d e nt ia l M an a ge me nt F el l ow
Mohammad Zia
T r uman Scholarship
2407 MARIE MOUNT HALL, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
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FEDERAL & GLOBAL TIMES ISSUE II
SPRING 2015
A LU M N I I NFO R MAT IO N
A listing of upcoming events, ways to get involved, and other relevant information for alumni
!
FEDERAL & GLOBAL SEMESTER
ALUMNI HAPPY HOUR
Join us for a summer gathering to network, catch up with friends, meet new alumni, and engage with program staff!
When: Thursday, July 23, 6-8 p.m.
Where: Cities Restaurant 919 19th
Street, Washington DC 20006
Light buffet and appetizers will be provided!
Please RSVP as soon as
possible and contact
Tommy Minter at
[email protected]
with any questions
FEDERAL AND GLOBAL FELLOWS ALUMNI BOARD
Lauren Greeley,
Amy D’Avella,
Jennifer Kulp
SRA International;
Board President
World Resources
Institute
ICF International
Mae McIver,
NASA Contractor
Joel
Cohen,
WAYS TO GET
INVOLVED:
• Join the Alumni Board!
Contact
[email protected]
for more information.
Joanna Luu
BAE Systems
Facebook
Scott Schill,
Deloitte & Touche, LLP
Nikita
Kandpal,
Obsidian
Analysis, Inc.
Dan
DeSantis,
PotomacWave
Consulting
Jessica
Preusch
HRSA
2407 MARIE MOUNT HALL, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
The Federal Semester alumni board
aims to foster the connections we built in
Federal and Global Semester. We have
three main goals: to connect alumni, to
participate in networking and social
events, and to provide opportunities to
mentor current students. We all took a
great deal from this program and look
forward to making it and this network all
that they can be!
WWW.FEDERALSEMESTER.UMD.EDU
• Nominate your seminar
instructor for a newsletter
profile! Email
[email protected]
• Send news, ideas, suggestions,
and opportunities for our next
issue to
[email protected]
.
Newsletter Editor:
Brendan Butler
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