Ask the FAIT Fellows: Panel Discussion (2023)

This webinar was recorded live on January 5, 2023, and is now available to watch on-demand.

If you are thinking about applying for the Foreign Affairs Information Technology (FAIT) Fellowship program, here’s a great opportunity to hear directly from four FAIT Fellows. Three panelists are 2021 cohort fellows and one is a 2020 cohort fellow. They will share their experiences and advice, and answer 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 either domestically or abroad
• What was their most memorable experience
• What single most important tip they have for students applying for the program
• And much more!

Here are the panelists:

Ariana Alvarez (2021 cohort) is an Ecuadorian-American majoring in Computer Science with a minor in International Relations and Chinese language at New York University Shanghai. Born in Ecuador and raised in New York, Ariana is a native Spanish speaker, is proficient in Italian, and is studying French and Mandarin. She is the recipient of New York University’s Marc and Ruti Bell Public Service Award.

Mahesh Gowda (2021 cohort), born in Illinois and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a second-generation Asian American with parents who immigrated from India. He earned an associate degree from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in information technology and an MBA at the University of Cincinnati.

Adriana Oelberg (2021 cohort), born in Germany and raised in central Pennsylvania, is attending Susquehanna University. She will complete a double major in Computer Science and International Business with a minor in German Studies. An executive board member of her university’s chapter of ENACTUS and a recipient of the Susquehanna University Service Leaders Scholarship, Adriana is active both on campus and in her community.

Sara Robinson-Camarena (2020 cohort) successfully completed the Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship in 2022 while earning a Bachelor of Applied Science in Cyber Operations, in the Defense & Forensics Track and the Law & Policy Track, at the University of Arizona. Prior to becoming a FAIT Fellow, she earned an Associate of Applied Science in Cyber Security from Cochise College in Arizona. She has entered the Foreign Service as an Information Management Specialist and will soon be traveling overseas to her first post at a U.S. embassy.