Networking – Elliott360

Payton Beaumier, who recently graduated from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University, was awarded a 2023 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship following a highly competitive nationwide contest.

The Pickering Fellowship, funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University, supports extraordinary individuals who want to pursue careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. Beaumier was chosen out of 600 outstanding candidates.

Beaumier, who grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, said that since high school, she’s dreamed of having a career that would allow her to work towards advancing human rights on a global scale.

One of her teachers in high school once said, “What makes this country great is little people doing little acts of love.” Beaumier said it is a quote that continuously sticks with her and serves as a source of motivation to dedicate her life to public service.

After completing her graduate program, Payton will become a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. She hopes to serve as a political officer working to address matters of human security and strengthen U.S. relations with countries across the globe. Payton credits her time and experience at GW for setting her on this trajectory.

When Beaumier arrived at GW, she was searching for a way to turn her passions into a career, and GW provided an incomparable sense of direction and an environment for curiosity and growth. She stated, “I had amazing academic and experiential learning opportunities at GW. It is a wonderful place to jumpstart your interests.” Specifically, she expressed her gratitude for the unique courses she took, her engaging and influential professors, the Career Services Center, and her time as part of the Elliott School Dean’s Scholars Program.

While at GW, Payton served as the recruitment officer for the Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority and was president of the Women in International Security Branch at GWU.

She participated in the U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program and interned with the Bureau of Counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru, focusing on international narcotics and law enforcement affairs. She has completed internships at the White House with the Gender Policy Council, the U.S. Department of the Treasury with the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Payton became aware of her selection for the Pickering Fellowship during her time as an intern for the White House Gender Policy Council, and she aspires to continue advocating for gender equity and equality in foreign policy during her career.

This fellowship will allow Beaumier to pursue a two-year master’s degree in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service. It will also connect her to extensive professional development opportunities, including internships, mentors, and skills training.

As part of the program, Beaumier will work at the U.S. Department of State for their domestic internship, and the U.S. Department of State will send her overseas to intern in a U.S. Embassy or Consulate to get hands-on experience with U.S. foreign policy and the work of the Foreign Service.

“I am excited for the opportunity to dedicate my future and my career to promoting peace and supporting our citizens abroad while living a life of public service.”

At a special speed-networking event held on October 19 at the Elliott School, 20 forward-
thinking Elliott students had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with high-powered alumni
who serve on the Elliott School Board of Advisors.

Speed networking combines the speed-dating model with business networking – allowing for
brief, targeted conversations with a number of professionals. The Elliott students were asked to
meet in pairs with board members in five-minute intervals, forging connections with nearly a
dozen executives – who also encouraged the students to stay in touch after the event.

Participation for students was first come first served; the eight undergraduates and 12 graduate
students in the room had been the first to reply to an all-school invitation to the event.

Students had a range of reasons for participating. Professional development was number one,
understandably. “It’s rare that you get a chance to speak with people that accomplished in their
fields,” said one student.

Medha Prasanna, a second-year graduate student, also was eager to gain deeper perspective
into the Elliott School. “I wanted to meet the people shaping the long-term vision of the
school,” she said.

At 11 a.m., students and board members gathered in the State Room on the seventh floor of
the Elliott School. There was an energetic buzz in the room as the students, in teams of two,
took seats next to individual board members, then, when the timer went, rotated to the next
member.

Any anxiety – for students and board members alike – was quickly dispelled, according to Ethan
Vosper, a senior concentrating in security policy. “It was a very welcoming, experience. They did
a really good job of putting us at ease,” he said.

Thomas Nielsen, a graduate student who plans to start his career working in international
trade, was there to hear first-hand accounts of what an Elliott School degree can lead to,
especially from those in his field. “I got that,” he said. “A lot of the advice was related to my
interest in private-sector business. A majority of the members had done exactly that.”

Nielsen – a member of the GW Track and XC teams – found the speed-networking format
especially effective. “It eliminated the small-talk aspect of networking,” he said.

What were the key takeaways from the event?

For senior Ethan Vosper, the “biggest thing [I learned] is not being afraid to put yourself out
there. When you’re a college student the idea of networking can be daunting, but don’t be
afraid to reach out to a person whose work interests you.”

In a similar vein, board members encouraged students to approach their careers – and their job
searches – with open minds. “I was encouraged to take risks and apply for jobs that don’t
necessarily match up with the international affairs field and direction,” Nielsen said.

Another important piece of advice, according to the students: don’t underestimate the value of
an international affairs degree; the world needs more individuals trained to work in an
interdisciplinary space.

As one board member told Vosper, “You can teach a person how to do the job, but you can’t
teach a person to be interested in history.”

Tag: Networking

Elliott Student was Awarded the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship

Three, Two, One — Network!