WASHINGTON, May 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a highly competitive application process, 15 talented students have been selected to enter the U.S. Department of State's Foreign Affairs Information Technology (FAIT) Fellowship program. These students will begin the two-year Fellowship this year, starting in the fall semester, culminating in an appointment as Foreign Service Information Management Specialists.

The 2020 cohort of the FAIT Fellowship is the fourth cohort of this program that launched in 2016 as part of the Department's efforts to attract top technology talent.

The program, administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars and funded by the U.S. Department of State, provides up to $37,500 annually in academic funding for two years of the student's undergraduate (junior and senior years) or master's IT-related degree program. Additionally, students participate in two summer internships with stipend support – one in Washington, D.C., and one at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad – as well as professional development training. After completing the two-year program and meeting Department requirements, the Fellows receive appointments as Foreign Service Information Management Specialists and begin exciting careers using their technology skills to support U.S. diplomacy abroad.

"The Washington Center is honored to partner with the U.S. Department of State on the FAIT Fellowship program for the fourth year in a row," said Chris Norton, The Washington Center president. "We're excited that we were able to provide the U.S. Department of State with a diverse pool of talented, highly qualified students for the selection process. The FAIT Fellowship program is truly an opportunity of a lifetime for these students to have a career that takes them around the world and that makes a real difference." 

Of the 15 FAIT Fellows for the 2020 cohort, five are entering a master's degree program in fall 2020. The other 10 are entering their junior year in undergraduate school in fall 2020. The universities listed below are the student's most recent universities. 

• Jacob Barr, University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
• Michelle Bautista, New Jersey Institute of Technology (Newark, NJ)
• Camilla Beaderman, Penn State - University Park (State College, PA)
• Mia Bennett, University of Maryland, College Park (College Park, MD)
• Doherty Guirand, Duke University (Durham, NC)
• Isaiah Makonnen, Indiana University – Bloomington (Bloomington, IN)
• Christian Manriquez, Texas A & M International University (College Station, TX)
• Darius Michael, University of Maryland University College (Largo, MD)
• Erin Moran, Pace University (New York, NY)
• Kai Riley, George Mason University (Fairfax, VA)
• Sara Robinson-Camarena, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ)
• Shayan Shirkhorshidi, George Mason University (Fairfax, VA)
• Crystal Singleton, ECPI University (Manassas, VA)
• Joel Sop, Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA)
• Kalin Thomas, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, (Las Vegas, NV)

The 2021 application cycle for the FAIT Fellowship program will begin in late October/early November. Announcements will be posted online at https://www.faitfellowship.org/ and shared on social media at https://www.facebook.com/FAITFellowship and https://twitter.com/FAITFellowship.

About The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars
The Washington Center is the largest and most established student internship program in Washington, D.C. Since our founding, we've helped more than 60,000 young people translate their college majors into career paths. We use our scale and expertise to customize each student's experience to be truly transformative.

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SOURCE The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars

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