Following a highly competitive nationwide selection process, Radhika Arora and Angela Chin were awarded a 2021 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship. The Rangel Fellowship, funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University, supports extraordinary individuals who want to pursue a career in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. The Rangel Program aims to enhance the excellence and diversity of the U.S. Foreign Service.  Established in 2003, the Rangel Program selects outstanding fellows annually in a highly competitive nationwide selection process and supports them through two years of graduate study, internships, mentoring and professional development activities.  Individuals who have successfully completed the Rangel Program are now serving as diplomats around the world, contributing to a more diverse representation and effective execution of U.S. foreign policy.
The Rangel Fellowship will support Radhika and Angela through a two-year master’s degree in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service.  It will also provide extensive professional development opportunities, including internships, mentors, and skills training.  As part of the Rangel Program, Radhika and Angela will intern with a Member of Congress on issues related to foreign affairs in summer 2021.  In summer 2022, the U.S. Department of State will send them overseas to intern in a U.S. Embassy or Consulate to gain hands-on experience in U.S. foreign policy and the work of the Foreign Service.  Upon successful completion of the program, they will become a U.S. diplomat in summer 2023, embarking on one of the most challenging and rewarding careers of service to her country.  They both will work to advance U.S. interests, protect American citizens, and promote peace and prosperity around the world.
 
Born and raised in Chandler, Arizona, Radhika has dreamt of serving her country as a diplomat since high school.  She served as Chandler High School’s Student Body President before attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  At UNC, she studied Business Administration and Arabic.  She also taught English in Taiwan through AIESEC, traveled to Japan with the Kakehashi Project, and studied Arabic in Morocco on a Critical Language Scholarship.  Her experiences interning in the State Department’s Office of Iraqi Affairs and at the U.S. Embassy in Jordan re-affirmed her commitment to a future Foreign Service career.  After graduation, she joined Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Government & Public Services practice to advise federal agencies and international NGOs on navigating their strategic priorities and challenges.
Radhika’s journey has now led her to the Rangel Fellowship, and she is excited about beginning her career in diplomacy.  She is grateful for her mother, an immigrant from India, for making tremendous sacrifices to raise her and her older sister.  Radhika also credits Chandler’s diverse community and public schools for inspiring her early interest in public service and global affairs.  Upon receiving the fellowship, she commented, “serving the people and values of the United States as a Foreign Service Officer has been a dream of mine since childhood and required unwavering perseverance to achieve.  I am so grateful to the countless family, friends, teachers, mentors, and colleagues who have been a part of this journey with me, and I can’t wait to share their beautifully diverse stories all around the world.”
 
A native of Mitchellville, Maryland, Angela graduated with distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Global Studies.  While at UNC, she studied abroad in Ecuador and Jordan, led the Black Students Abroad campus organization, and received the Chancellor’s Award for International Leadership.  During her final semester, Angela interned for the Brookings Center for Middle East Policy through the UNC Honors Seminar on Public Policy and Global Affairs in Washington D.C.  She is a 2018 Charles B. Rangel Summer Enrichment Program Scholar, a 2019 Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow, and a 2020 Honors Carolina Laureate.  Angela currently works as the Sudan and South Sudan Program Assistant at the U.S. Institute of Peace and serves as a member of the National Scholarship and Standards Committee of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Angela’s journey has now led her to the Rangel Fellowship, and she is excited to begin her career in diplomacy after she completes graduate school.  Upon receiving the fellowship, she called the opportunity “a dream come true.”  She added, “As I connect with future leaders in foreign policy and prepare to serve my country, I am excited to contribute to a positive U.S. presence in the world as part of a State Department team that reflects and respects the strength and diversity of America.”
 
Posted from Honors Carolina