One of the nation’s leading foundations that encourages graduate students to pursue careers with the federal government in foreign policy and international affairs today announced that 14 students attending five of the nation’s top international studies graduate schools will comprise its 2016 class of fellows.
Four of the Foundation’s 14 Class of 2016 Fellows are first-year students at the Texas A&M University’s Bush School for Government and Public Service.
The Robertson Foundation identifies and nurtures future U.S. government leaders in the areas of national security, foreign policy and international affairs. The Foundation provides scholarships, internship stipends and additional career support to graduate students at select universities. The Fellows, as a program requirement, agree to work for the federal government for a minimum of three of their first seven years after graduation.
The four first-year Bush School students that earned Robertson Foundation for Government Fellowships are Nathenial Haight, Charlotte Karrlsson-Willis, Gabrielle Keleher, and Jerica Ward.
“I congratulate the new class of Robertson Fellows and welcome each to a growing cohort of young leaders who are committed to serving our nation both here and abroad,” said Foundation Board of Directors president Katherine Ernst. “These young men and women are the fulfillment of the Robertson Foundation for Government mission, which is to meet the federal government’s increasing need for young leaders as more than half of its employees become retirement-eligible in the next two years. We are looking forward to working with the new fellows and they have our full support going forward.”
There are currently 33 Robertson Fellows enrolled at five of nation’s top graduate schools for international studies and foreign affairs. Those schools are: Tufts University’s Fletcher School, the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, The University of California San Diego’s School of International Relations and Pacific Studies and Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service. Of the 45 Robertson Fellows that have earned their master’s degrees since the program started in 2010, 80 percent are currently working for the federal government or in a government-related field. Robertson Fellows are working at 11 different Federal departments and agencies including the Department of State, the Government Accountability Office, the Department of Defense, The Department of Homeland Security and in the federal intelligence community. And, 24 Robertson Fellows have gone on to earn prestigious honors and awards including one Fullbright scholar, two Presidential Management Fellowships, three Boren Scholarships and 18 Rosenthal Fellowships.
