Ask the FAIT Fellows: Panel Discussion (2020)

This webinar was recorded live on December 17, 2020, and is now available to watch on-demand.

Pursuing the Foreign Affairs IT Fellowship program can lead to a life-changing decision – one that will take you on an exciting journey in the world of diplomacy and technology.

In this panel discussion, Fellows in the Foreign Affairs IT Fellowship will share their experiences and advice, and answer your questions about the program. You will hear them discuss:

• Why they decided to pursue the FAIT Fellowship program


• What was the most challenging part of the application process


• What they did during their summer internships


• How has the COVID pandemic affected their work in the program


• Where will their first posts be and how are they preparing


• Why they decided to pursue the FAIT Fellowship program


• What single most important tip they have for students applying for the program
  


• And more

Here are the panelists:

Daniel Lewis completed the FAIT Fellowship program in 2020 while earning his master’s degree in Enterprise Data Systems and two Certificates of Advanced Studies at Syracuse University. His first post as a Foreign Service IMS will be Vienna, Austria, following his training at the Foreign Service Institute in Washington, D.C. Daniel also holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Management and Technology. He received training as a Network and Systems Administration in the United States Marine Corps, and was honorably discharged in 2013.

Jeremiah Azurin completed the FAIT Fellowship program in 2020 and graduated from Harvard in May 2020. He comes to the State Department from a background in research, long-distance cycling, and international exchange, and has worked most recently at the Vatican, Saudi Arabia, Peru, South Korea, and Cambodia. Jeremiah completed his overseas FAIT internship with US Consulate General Frankfurt and will move to Abu Dhabi for his first tour next year.

Makenna Walshbegan the FAIT Fellowship program in fall 2019, and her domestic internship at the U.S. State Department was with the Office of Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies. Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Makenna is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in computer science at Loyola University, with plans to graduate in 2021. She studied abroad at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology during the spring semester of 2019, and she has been on the Dean’s list every semester at Loyola University, from fall 2017 to present.