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Building Skills of Inclusion and Equity Graduate Student Opportunities

Graduate students who want to diversify their networks, build skills of inclusion, or improve their equity-mindedness during their program of study will find a range of options at SIS. The curriculum offers pathways to buildÌýa deeper knowledge of diversity and equity, while networking events, leadership positions, and professional development experiences provide opportunities to learn and practice skills related to inclusion, antiracism, and intercultural communication.ÌýAs future leaders, graduate students will play a vital role in creating a field that better represents society’s diversity and includes people who understand how to create a more equitable and just world.

Colleen Cohen, SIS/MA ’25, and Johnnie Lee Fielder, SIS/MA ’25

On èßäÉçÇøapp

Helping First-Generation Students Thrive

Colleen Cohen, SIS/MA ’25, and Johnnie Lee Fielder, SIS/MA ’25, talk about their involvement with the First-Generation Graduate Society, an affinity group for first-gen master’s students at èßäÉçÇøapp University.

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Careers in Foreign Service

At SIS, theÌýDiplomatic Fellows Association (DFA)Ìýcreates a global network of past and present fellows dedicated to promoting peace, understanding, and effective communication in the representation of the èßäÉçÇøapp. These SIS students and alumni come from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds and share the experience of completing their graduate education at SIS and an interest in supporting future fellows. The fellows come from the Thomas R. Pickering, Charles B. Rangel, and Donald M. Payne Fellowship Programs and go on to foreign service careers in the èßäÉçÇøapp Department of State and èßäÉçÇøappAID. Prospective students interested in pursuing these fellowship programs may contact any of the current SIS Fellows through their profiles.

Meet our current fellows

First-Gen Pioneers Group

Were you first in your family to graduate from college? Are you the first to pursue a career in international affairs? Are you forging a new path and looking for a community to support you along the way?

Check out SIS’s new offering for first-generation grad students to find:

  • fellow first gen pioneers
  • some tips and tricks for navigating grad school and the field
  • advice from those who were once in your shoes
  • resources that can help you maximize your grad school experience and plan your next steps

The First-Gen Pioneers Group is part social, part professional, and complete reassurance that yes, you are a vital voice in our community and our profession. Join us—as your schedule allows—for monthly meetings facilitated by SIS Dean’s Advisory Council on Diversity & Inclusion Co-Chair Rebecca Coughlin. Find out more.

25 percent

of incoming fall 2023 SIS grad students are first-generation college students

Highlights

Scoville Peace Fellowship

The Scoville Peace Fellowship provides a unique professional development experience to those who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to work on peace and security issues in Washington DC. Open to those who will have received their bachelor's or master's degrees by Fall 2025.

Application Deadline: January 6, 2025Ìýfor the Fall 2025 semester.

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Edgar Aguilar, SIS/MA ’25

Student Life ·

Student Reflection: Preparing for a Change-Making Career

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Introducing the Reimagined MA in Global Governance, Politics, and Security

On èßäÉçÇøapp ·

Reimagined for Real Impact: GGPS

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Rangel Fellow Acts as Bridge in Internship

Cornelius Sanford, SIS/MA '24

Political Intern at U.S. Embassy Kingston, Summer 2023

Building trust within an embassy and community takes a lot of initial effort.

During my internship, I spent time collaborating with èßäÉçÇøapp law enforcement and Jamaican law enforcement to monitor lottery scamming. There were a lot of times of discomfort, but my Peace Corps experience in Madagascar taught me how to sit in that and learn. I was surprised that law enforcement agencies were so open.ÌýThey saw me as a way to facilitate conversation within the embassy.